For You
by XxNarutoFanGurlxX
Summary: Sakura is a new student at the Hidden Leaf Academy. She makes a lot of friends and enjoys the high school. The oddest thing is that her closest friend is her English and PE teacher, Kakashi Hatake. And better yet, their pain is what brings them together.
1. First Day

A/N: Hello everyone. To those who know me, I'm back with another of my KakaSaku pairing stories! And for those who don't know me, I am XxNarutoFanGurlxX! I am a big fan of KakaSaku and really loves to write stories about them.

Anyways, I just hope you all enjoy this first chapter and please do not hesitate to give me feedback on anything.

Don't Forget To Review!

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><p><em>Title: For You<em>

_(Title inspired by the song For You sang by Azu-Naruto Shippuden ED)_

_Rating: T_

_Written By: XxNarutoFanGurlxX_

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><p>Sakura walked across the hallway repeatedly, lost and confused of where to go. She pulled out her phone and took a look at the time. It was eight twenty. She had ten more minutes until the morning bell rang. Help. Help is what she needs, but there was no one to be found. It wasn't unexpected. This school was one of the top in Konoha and a bunch of students wouldn't be willing to be tardy in such an amazing high school, especially if the teachers are all strict and intelligent.<p>

After minutes of frustration, she leaned against a nearby wall and slid down to the floor, her head dug into her crossed arms. She was excited, really, for the first day of school in Konoha after moving from Suna. But if she was going to be late, it would ruin everything.

"Excuse me, kiddo."

She rose her head high enough to see a pale face looking down upon her with beady black and red eyes. A man. No. A teacher. His silver hair was ruffled and blown over his forehead, and his cheekbones and chin were hairless. His nose wasn't too pointed nor flat, and his lips weren't too big or small. He seemed well built and in shape. A young one he is.

"You alright?" he continued slowly. The man backed away a few inches and stared at Sakura, expecting a brief answer of to why she was sitting so sulkily in the hallway.

Sakura finally managed to speak. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I'm lost and I don't know where to go," she murmured embarrassingly, her cheeks growing rosy red. "I was looking for Room Twenty until I gave up on my search."

"Oh really?" asked the teacher. "That's my classroom. I suppose I can escort you there if you wish, unless you want to arrive to class_ late_."

"Thank you," said Sakura. The pink-haired girl stood up shakily and gathered her belongings, then swung her backpack onto one shoulder.

Within a minute, the two were off, steadily walking through the winding hallways of Konoha's greatest high school, Hidden Leaf Academy. Everything was decent, or a little more than decent. Actually, it was all amazing. There were no cobwebs to be found, no gum hiding beneath cracks or under the school bulletin board, and surprisingly, there were barely any late students.

"So you're new here, aren't you? Judging from how confused you were back there," began the teacher.

"Yeah. I moved from Suna to Konoha since my parents got a new job here. I like it better here, though."

"Well since I am going to be your first period teacher, might as well introduce myself to you," he stated coolly, "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and honestly, I do not enjoy it when people address my by Mr. Hatake and neither does any of the other teachers here like it."

"So I could just call you Kakashi?"

"Precisely. So what's your name?"

"Sakura Haruno. And - er - None of them like being addressed formally?"

"What are the rest of your classes? Name the class and the teacher."

"English, Hatake; History, Shiranui; Science, Nara; Lunch; Leadership, Yuhi; PE, Hatake; Math, Sarutobi."

Kakashi shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pocket. "So you have me, and then Genma, Shikaku, Kurenai, me again, and Asuma. You're pretty lucky to have some of the greatest teachers here in the academy," he chuckled.

Sakura rose an eyebrow, still confused at his explanation. "But how come I have you in _two_ classes?" she asked with puzzlement.

"Since I don't teach class during sixth or fifth period, Old Man Sarutobi assigned me to PE during sixth."

"Old . . . Man Sarutobi? Is that Asuma?"

"No, it's his father. Mr. Sarutobi. I'll tell you his name some other time, kiddo."

"Okay . . ."

Kakashi paused in front of a door and nodded at Sakura. He gladly opened it for her and gently ushered her forward as he pushed her into the classroom, not in a rude manner but an escorting manner. He followed and closed the door behind him, and stood in front of the class with Sakura still by his side.

The morning bell suddenly rang and everyone seized their laughter and chatter, their eyes all glued to Sakura, the new girl.

"Hey everybody," Kakashi greeted, "This is a new student, Sakura Haruno. She is now in your first period class, so please welcome her kindly. Sakura, you could take a seat beside Naruto and Shikamaru."

Sakura followed his instructions and settled in the mentioned desk. She looked to the left of her to find the yellow-headed boy looking at her oddly.

"Woah, your hair is pink! And your name sounds so familiar too!" he exclaimed.

Sakura rose an eyebrow and frowned. They had never met before, so how could she be familiar to him? What in the world was wrong with this boy?

"That's because her name 'Sakura' means cherry blossom you dope." The black-haired one shrugged and leaned further back into his seat. "It's actually quite ironic, considering your hair is pink like the flower," he continued.

"Um, thanks?" she replied dumbly, not caring whether they're weird or not.

"Well since we all sit near each other," began the 'dope', "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! And that kid over there is Shikamaru Nara!" He grinned a big grin and proudly nodded at her.

"Nice to meet the both of you," muttered Sakura as she pressed her forehead against the desk.

Great. Just great. She had an annoying idiot sitting to the left of her and a smart-headed genius sitting to the right. The two of them didn't seem so bad, but they sure talked a lot for average-looking students.

"Hey. Naruto and Shikamaru . . . wait . . . Naruto, stop bugging Sakura. It's her first day and it's already turning out bad because of you," sighed Kakashi as he tapped the three students' desks.

Naruto yawned and mumbled, "I'm just trying to make new friends."

"Make new friends during your passing periods." Kakashi pointed toward the board and explained, "You have a class assignment to start as well. And the rest of the class already started."

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura looked around them to find that their teacher was correct. Everyone has already started their work besides them.

"But Kakashi, what's the assignment?" asked Naruto.

"Write a paragraph on anything. But the subject has to catch my attention, otherwise you get an F." Kakashi strode away. "And actually _read_ the board instead of asking, kiddo."

Sakura eyed Naruto as he dug his face into his notebook, then glanced at Shikamaru to find him staring at a quarter-filled paper. She sighed and began writing her paragraph.

Honestly, she didn't know what exactly she was writing about. You know . . . the main idea. Really, she was just scribbling down things that were pouring out of her heart.

Well, Sakura sort of had a dark past, considering that most of her family members died and that all of her friends grew apart. All of her relatives were killed in a massacre, including some of her friends. And then her closest buddy moved far away from Suna, leaving little Sakura all alone with just her parents to embrace.

She thinks that is what she was writing about. She felt comfortable doing it, even if it was one of her darkest secrets. Writing down her past released her from the darkness and sorrow. Writing about her own life . . . freed her.

"All right, everyone pass in their papers." Kakashi suddenly snatched her paper from her hands, as of how he did to the rest of his students. Ignoring everyone's complaints about the short amount of time, he stuffed them in his folder right when the bell rang.

"Class dismissed."

Sakura gathered her things and scurried out of the classroom and hurried to her locker to exchange her notebooks. Eventually, she was walking to her next class, History, taught by Genma Shiranui. Or at least, that's what Kakashi had told her.

"Hey you."

The pink-haired girl jerked her head to the right to find none other than Shikamaru waving at her with a simple and small smile.

"Your name is . . . Sakura, right?" he asked as he began walking with her.

"Yes," she simply replied.

"What's your next class?"

"History with Shiranui."

"Ah, Genma Shiranui. Cool, we have the next class together," stated Shikamaru, "Maybe I can show you the way now."

He was snickering. She knew that he was laughing at her deep inside.

But at least he was nice enough to not actually show it.

Sakura managed to smile a little. "Thanks, Shikamaru."

The two walked side-by-side to History class with only two minutes remaining of the passing period. Luckily, they both made it in time to only be greeted by the chestnut-haired teacher.

His hair was quite long, but not too long to consider him as a woman. There was also a blue bandanna wrapped around his head which definitely identified him as a man. His eyes were beady like Kakashi's, except it held more kindness and foolishness. His grin was almost as wide as Naruto's smile and he held a senbon in his mouth. Every now and then, the needle would move around, which surprisingly irritated her in some way.

"Ah, you're Sakura Haruno aren't ya?" Genma exclaimed happily as he nearly closed the door on the arriving students. "Kakashi called me to tell me 'bout the new student, which is of course you. I betcha that he told the rest of your teachers too."

Well, so much for introducing . . .

"That's kind of odd," Shikamaru whispered into Sakura's ear.

She giggled and turned to face Genma again.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too Genma."

"And he told you about that too, huh."

"I suppose you are talking about the formal thing."

"You got that right."

"Then yes, he told me."

Genma patted her on the back and smiled again. Foolish. That man was foolish. But she enjoyed that part of his personality.

"Well head on out and pick a seat," he instructed as he took a seat at his own station.

Sakura nodded and followed Shikamaru down the isle and sat next to him again. She assumed that this would be her permanent seat for the next few months.

She dug into her bright white backpack and removed her notebook, then placing it on her desk along with her writing utensils. After a minute of preparing, she took a look at Shikamaru to find him drooling on his desk.

Shikamaru Nara. He was a nice and intelligent guy, but really lazy. She didn't think that his laziness was too much of a problem, unless he did it constantly. Now that would be a predicament. Sakura can't really imagine Shikamaru sleeping through one whole period though.

Sakura laughed at her newly-made friend and adjusted herself to face forward, but a tall gloomy-looking boy was blocking her view. She suddenly realized that she was sitting in his seat and was about to leave as quickly as possible . . .

Until he pulled her back into her seat.

"It's okay," he said, "You can have my seat. I can sit to the left of you anyways. No one ever sat there so it's practically meant for me now."

Sakura slowly nodded confusingly and watched him while he unpacked his stuff next to her. She felt bad for having to steal his seat, even though he had told her it was okay.

That boy really seemed as if he wanted to sit here . . .

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he greeted.

Sasuke held out his hand for her to shake. She gladly accepted it.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," she responded, "And thanks for giving me your seat."

"It's no big deal."

The bell rang, signaling that class was about to start.

Genma stood up and stretched his arms, his dark eyes glued to his room full of students. He yawned and rolled his shoulders, then walked in front of the classroom.

"Well everybody, before we start, we have a new student." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and cocked his head toward Sakura. "The girl with the bright pink hair is now your new classmate. So - uh - please welcome her," he explained.

A couple of people whispered, "Hi" to her, which pleased her much. Some even introduced their names. Like these three students. A bowl cut haired-kid named Rock Lee, or Lee, introduced himself in an odd way that amused her. A long haired one, Neji Hyuga, and his cousin, Hinata Hyuga, both said hello and were kind enough to tell a little information about themselves.

Making friends here weren't turning out to be hard at all. In fact, it was pretty easy so far.

"Alright class, settle down," yawned Genma, "Now let's begin our history lesson on the French Revolution."

. . .

Sakura had just finished her fifth period class with Kurenai, which practically cheered her up from all of the trouble in Science.

During third period, she had found out that Shikaku was Shikamaru's father and considered the moment was very awkward since his son was his student too. And then a boy named Kiba came up to her and tried flirting, which was a total failure, and Sasuke tried standing up to him, which made her happy.

In the end, Kiba had apologized and vowed to never do it again. She and him ended up being friends anyways.

Which reminded her . . .

She has been making a lot of friends today. And it was her first day in this high school. To be honest, she wasn't expecting to make an unusual amount of friends in just one day. Was she that kind of a person or is it just the fact that everyone in this school was close like family?

"Sa-Sakura."

Hinata tapped her on the shoulder, wearing only a large PE shirt that draped over her thighs.

"Yes, Hinata?" hummed Sakura.

"Finish changing before you get late to PE class."

"And if I don't?"

"You don't know about Hatake's pet peeves, do you?"

"No, considering that I'm a new student here."

"Well he just _hates _it when students arrive to class late, especially in PE since he thinks all you have to do is change out. And if you are late, I heard he makes you run a lap or more around the track in punishment . . . Unless you're injured or something like that."

"Wow, harsh teacher."

"He's not that bad. He just acts like that, but he's really nice if you get to know him."

". . . That's unusual."

"Yeah." Hinata slipped into her shorts and glanced at the clock. "Better head out into the gym. We only have two more minutes until we're tardy."

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."

Sakura and Hinata scurried out of the girl's locker room and skidded into the gym, embarrassed after accidentally running into Naruto and Sasuke.

"Sorry you two," apologized Sakura.

Naruto grinned and laughed. "Nah! It's all cool! I do that all the time too!"

Sasuke thumped him on the back of his head, causing Naruto to wail continuously, which was quite annoying, to be honest.

"Shut up Naruto. You're already irritating enough," muttered Sasuke, his voice low and cold.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," replied the yellow-headed twit.

Hinata giggled and Naruto immediately glanced at her with dark blue eyes. She suddenly blushed for some odd reason as he inspected her carefully.

"Are you okay, Hinata? You look red like an apple."

"Y-Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay then."

Naruto shrugged and ran off to find Choji Akamichi, the chubby boy who eats like a pig but acts like a sweetheart. Sasuke eventually followed him with a dull expression, leaving Sakura and Hinata alone to talk for only a few more seconds.

"Hinata, do you like Naruto?" Sakura asked with a grin.

"Please don't tell him, Sakura. I'm trying to find the perfect time and place to tell him!"

"I promise I won't."

"Promise?"

"I cross my heart and hope to die."

". . . Thank you Sakura. You are such a good friend."

"Thanks . . . and trust me. I never break my promises."

Hinata smiled kindly and bowed her head slightly in appreciation.

"Alright, everyone! Gather around!"

The masculine, chilling voice rang loudly in her ears, causing her to shudder. Sakura suddenly smelled the scent of an aftershave, which was actually quite appealing, and turned to her right, only to find Kakashi Hatake standing in between her and Hinata.

He looked really fit in his PE wear, especially since his T-shirt complimented his abs. He was wearing black jogging pants which seemed to fit him well and a grey shirt that was neither tight nor loose. Right in between, to be precise. He looked exactly like a PE teacher with a pinch of an' English teacher look' to it.

Kakashi nodded at Hinata and then smiled at Sakura.

He asked, "So how is the first day here in the academy, Sakura?"

"Amazing, to be honest. Everyone is so nice and unique, especially the teachers."

"Well I'm happy that you're happy," he chuckled as he gave her a small pat on her shoulder.

Sakura blushed lightly and stared at her feet, having nothing more to say to her teacher. He is so nice - and she has to admit it, but he's really cute too - that he could make anyone speechless, including herself, which was surprising considering that not many teachers or adults could do that.

She suddenly began to wonder how old he was . . .

"Hey Mr. Ha - I mean - Kakashi?"

He glanced at her with his onyx and blood-red eye.

"Um, how old are you?"

He came close to her cheek, his lips ghosting over her skin. His scent was intoxicating and pleasing in a certain way, and some of his silver hair was brushing against her skin and flesh, which tickled her.

"Twenty eight. But don't tell anyone I told you that, okay?" he whispered.

She nodded as he backed away to begin talking to the arriving students.

"Everyone, I would like you to head outside and run three laps around the track," he began, "But Sakura Haruno, I need to talk to you, so stay here in the gym."

Everyone groaned as they began jogging toward the exit, some of them complaining that it wasn't fair how Sakura didn't have to run the track.

Sakura questioningly locked her gaze with Naruto and Sasuke. They shrugged and began jogging themselves, scared that they might have to run another lap for not following the directions.

She hung her head, wondering if she had done anything wrong. She couldn't recall if she had done something unforgivable or something like that. What if she was in trouble for asking of his age?

No, he answered her question, so that couldn't be it.

What if she had done something wrong earlier in first period?

Oh boy . . .

She was scared. She had to admit it. She was frightened, especially after hearing all of those rumors of him being strict when it came to punishments.

Sakura nearly squealed when his hand landed on her shoulder.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you about first period."

Great. Here it comes.

"It's about your paper that you wrote for the class assignment."

Sakura let her eyes drag across the tiled ground.

"W-what about my paper?" she asked silently.

Kakashi lifted his face up to the ceiling and sucked in a deep breath.

"I'm worried."

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><p>AN: Cliff hanger! I guess. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of the story For You!

Please review and do not hesitate to ask me any questions if you have one!

Love you all!


	2. Her Dark Past

A/N: Hi everyone. It's me again, back with another chapter just for you guys! Anyways, yeah. I'm writing another AU story, but I actually like those kind of things. They aren't too bad . . .

Oops, off topic!

Anyways, I would like to throw thanks out to everyone who had read and reviewed. I APPRECIATE IT ALL.

So onward with the story!

Don't Forget To Review!

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><p>Sakura locked her gaze with his onyx and blood-red eyes. Something overcoming and disturbing ran up her spine, giving her goosebumps. His glare. It was cold and dark.<p>

"W-What about my paper?" she asked shakily.

Kakashi lifted his face up to stare at the ceiling, then sucked in a deep breath. He narrowed his eyes toward her and frowned slightly. "I'm worried," he said.

Worried. He was worried? What for? Her past. Her terrible life. It is none of his concern, so why worry about her? Sakura knew herself that she was a useless person, especially when she was a child. She had let everyone go, made the biggest mistake of her life that cost the life of her relatives, then lost her closest and dearest friends. It was none of his concern. There was nothing for him to be worried about.

"Sakura, I've read your paper plenty of times, and indeed, it caught my attention," he continued, "But I never thought that you would be comfortable writing something so . . . dark and eerie."

Dark and eerie. Those words slammed right through her like the wind. So that was what she was. Nothing more than the darkness. The shadow of her own people.

"I felt comfortable writing every single piece about it," she assured him forcefully.

Kakashi didn't reply. Instead, he had placed his two hands on her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye.

"You can't keep it all a secret forever, kiddo."

That was when she broke into tears.

Out of nowhere, something clear slipped out of the corner of her eye and plopped onto his bare skin. It was chilling and saddening. The sight of her crying. The sight of her in dear pain. It hurt him so much.

"I don't know why I wrote all of that stuff down. I don't know why I decided to reveal myself to you," she whispered fearfully, "It's just that . . . when I saw that face. That expression. It was willing to help me. Kindness. Care."

Sakura rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sighed.

"I just thought that I could trust you."

Kakashi's arms dropped to his side.

"And you _can_. . ."

... Silence ...

"Do you happen to have my paper with you?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly and pulled it out of his pocket. He handed it to her without hesitation and patiently began to wait as she started scanning the content of the sheet.

_I am glad that I left it all behind. My pain and misery are no more. I locked them deep in my heart where it would never escape ever again. And I promised myself I would never look back into that darkness. I swore that I would erase it all and begin fresh. But every minute of every single day, as I get farther away of what used to be home, I feel more like nothing. A simple shadow of day and the wispy fog of night. Finally, when I arrive, I feel like a newly born person into this world. They didn't haunt me as much like before. I am glad that I left it all behind. My pain and misery are no more. I only have my heart to cling onto. I only have a family to embrace. So I am glad I left it all behind. My pain and misery. The sorrow. I am glad they are all gone._

Her fingers slid over the folded crease, shakily. She clenched the paper in her hand and crumpled it, feeling the overcoming power of anger arising within her. Reading this . . . this nonsense that _she _had wrote . . . it was foolish. Despicable.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Suddenly, Sakura turned her back on him and stormed through the crowd of incoming students who had just finished running the three laps. Kakashi had reached out to grab her, but she had slipped through his fingers.

He had seen that bright pink hair flow outside of the gym door, where she would be running her laps that he had specifically told her not to do.

It was too late. He wouldn't be able to talk to her for a while.

"Hey Kakashi."

Choji poked his PE teacher on his arm and questioningly looked up at him, his cheeks inflating and extending its swirly marks.

"What did you tell Sakura?" he asked.

Kakashi shook his head and stared at the open double doors.

That pink-headed girl. She was new here in Konoha, and he knows it. But something was bugging her. And it definitely seemed horrible, for no one could write so much horrifying things . . . He was determined to help her out, he really was, but it would be a problem if she kept locking herself up like that.

He sighed, "Nothing."

. . .

The sky was dark and gloomy, and clouds hung low to the ground. It was raining. It was beginning to get cold and windy. And she didn't like it. The weather reacting to her emotions. She disliked it.

Sakura gripped onto her jacket and held it close to herself for warmth. It was pouring. Thunder cackled in the sky. The breeze howled fiercely. And here she was, waiting. Alone. By herself.

After a minute, she pulled out her cell phone and glanced at the screen. She had received a message. Her finger landed on the button that read 'Ok', which opened another page that revealed the context.

_Sorry, my sweet cherry blossom._

_Your father and I aren't going to be home until tomorrow, due to an important meeting._

_My sweet cherry blossom, please stay safe and help yourself to what's in the fridge when you get home._

_Sorry that we couldn't pick you up from school._

_I love you, my sweet._

_Love, _

_Mom and Dad_

She angrily growled to herself and stuffed the phone back into her pocket, crossed her arms, and sat on the curb, trying to ignore the rain pounding against her head.

She was soaking wet now. Her hair was tangled and messy due to the wind. Her clothes were wet inside and out, including her socks and shoes. Her skin was no longer peachy, or at least that's what she thought, but pale.

Honestly, she didn't care if she was going to get sick. Let herself get a flu. Let herself pass out in the cold storm. Let her sit all alone with no one to embrace. No one to love. No one to care for.

Alone.

That word pained her. Hurt her. Saddened her.

Alone.

She was all alone.

Sakura had rejected everybody who wished to help her in times of need. Her mother. Her father. Her relatives. Her friends. And him, Kakashi Hatake, the most recent person who had wanted to help her out the most out of all of the people she had met.

Kakashi. She wondered why him. It could have been Genma, Kurenai, or Asuma. Wait - they don't know her predicament. Oh how much more can she get stupid?

A small breath escaped her lips and floated in the air like a small patch of fog until it disappeared. She did this a couple more times to amuse herself for the time being, but it didn't work out after realizing her lips were getting chapped.

She licked her dry lips and hugged her legs, afraid to drift off into a dreadful sleep. She was afraid. Scared. Sad. Lonely. What was once a happy being transformed into a dreadful person. Sakura regretted everything she had done in the past.

Her mistakes. It cost her for most of her family and friends. Her decisions. It killed every single and last happiness within her. Her unnecessary needs. It only brought her to more pain. Stupid and dumb. She was stupid and dumb.

"Sakura."

That low masculine voice rang in her ears.

She immediately knew who it was.

But she didn't bother to reply.

"I've watched you from the beginning, and I knew that from the start, you were different from the others."

No response. She swore and promised herself that she wouldn't talk to him again. But why was it so hard to resist?

"Being different isn't unnecessarily a bad thing. So I like that in you; the difference that you contain. That personality that separates you from the others. You are an interesting student that deserves to blossom."

It was so damn hard. She can't hold it in. She can't bear his voice.

"So please, allow me to help you."

All of a sudden, the rain stopped hitting her. A shadow overcame her body and wrapped her in warmth. An umbrella. His jacket. _Why, _she thought_, why would he do all of this for one new student?_

Sakura finally gave in. She rose her face high enough to see his mismatched eyes. Losing control of her emotions, a tear managed to slip out of her eye.

"I just need to talk to someone about my past. So I can start fresh. So I can remove all of those folds in my life," she whispered silently.

"I can be that person, Miss Haruno."

"Thank you . . . Mr. Hatake."

. . .

"That one mistake ruined my life . . . When I was a little girl, I never knew what I was doing. I always thought that I was right. I always thought my family was wrong. I always thought that they were an ignorance.

"One day, I ran away. Far off into the woods with only a pack full of a week-supply of food and other needs. I avoided all of those police and villagers who searched for me in the night, for I hid in the trees or bushes. I avoided going back to my small little town, for I thought that I no longer needed them.

"But after a month, I came back, in need of my family again, only to find everyone dead. I had found out that a disease had swept through the area from eavesdropping on a few far-distanced towns, not so far from my hometown . . ."

_"Yeah, I feel so bad for that little girl. She was the only survivor."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes! She came to me not long ago. A couple of days ago, I think, and she cried onto me, yelling that everyone that she once knew was dead. I had even thought that she lost her parents."_

_A blue-haired woman paused and narrowed her eyes toward the door. She swore that she saw a flash of pink there . . ._

_"What's wrong Tsumi?" asked the green-haired lady._

_"Nothing. I thought that little girl, Sakura, was eavesdropping on us," she stated cautiously._

_"So are her parents dead or alive?"_

_"They're alive, but they are currently in the City of Rain for a business trip."_

_"Are you going to take her there?"_

_"Maybe next month when my manager pays me my check. It won't be too long until then," replied the blue-headed one._

_"I feel so bad for Sakura . . ."_

_"I know. Poor kid."_

"And yes, it was a month before I saw my parents. But I wasn't the same. My heart was barren, only full of sorrowful tears and regrets. I felt terrible back then. It was all my fault. If I had only stayed, I would have died with pride. I would have died with my loved ones."

. . .

"Sakura."

Kakashi walked to the entrance, only to find Sakura walking away from his house, her hair soon getting soaked from the rain again. His eyes followed her figure until she had paused in the middle of the sidewalk.

After moments of silence, Sakura turned to look over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" asked Kakashi.

"Don't worry," she reassured, "I only live a couple of blocks away from here."

The pink-haired teenager continued to walk back home, mouthing the words of what seemed to be 'thank you'.

Kakashi smiled and closed the door.

He turned to his soft white couch and plopped onto it, feeling exhausted and satisfied. Suddenly, something brightly dimmed caught the corner of his eye and brought his attention to a golden heart locket.

His fingers slowly unlatched the two latches and it opened, revealing the inside. A name was neatly and artistically carved into the left side, and on the right, there was a picture of a little girl.

. . .

"Sakura-chan! It's nice to see you again!"

Naruto ran up to her and nearly slammed her into the lockers, his bear hug tight and deadly. He grinned and laughed triumphantly, then backed away to stumble into Shikamaru and Sasuke, annoying them slightly.

Sakura laughed halfheartedly and embarrassingly tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Thanks for the hug, Naruto. But aren't I still much of a stranger to you?" she asked confusingly. "This is only my second day here and I feel as if you guys and myself are close."

"Because we are," yawned Shikamaru, "There's nothing wrong with that. We all love making friends. We all love being close friends."

"Yeah," agreed Sasuke. "And if you haven't noticed, almost everyone in the whole entire school are close like family."

Sakura observed the other people around her. She spotted Hinata playfully punching Shino while Kiba laughed hysterically. She had also found Choji munching on some chips with Lee. Neji and Tenten were also seen, except that they were kissing. Suddenly, Samui burst out in anger toward Konohamaru, a small freshman and the niece - and grandson - of Asuma and Old Man Sarutobi.

"I haven't really noticed until now," confessed Sakura, her hand sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"You're _slow,_" Naruto chimed, his voice high and mighty.

"Shut up, dope," Shikamaru and Sasuke simultaneously muttered.

"Geez! I was just kidding!"

"We said shut up!"

"Fine! Calm down," whined Naruto, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

Sakura giggled at the scene of her friends arguing back and forth, Naruto and Sasuke exchanging a few nudges every now and then. Eventually, it got out of hand and Shikamaru had to stop them with death threats, which neither of them enjoyed.

All of a sudden, a cold touch stung Sakura's skin, nearly making her squeal in fright. She shot a glance over her shoulder, her eyes only to be met by Kakashi's.

She gulped and wondered what he was doing here, when he should be in the classroom, waiting for the students to arrive.

"Ah, I finally found you Sakura," he chuckled.

He brought his hand up from his pocket and held hers, his fingers intertwined with her own. After a quick second, he released it, then closed her fingers on a seeming-so item. He patted her hand gently with an expecting expression then backed away slowly.

Kakashi smiled at her and then at Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru.

"I'll see you all in class in ten minutes, and Sasuke, I'll see you in PE," he had stated coolly as he strode off into the hallway.

Sasuke eyed Sakura suspiciously as she opened her hand shakily, her eyes widening in realization.

There, in the palm of her hand, was a golden locket. _Her _golden locket.

"Hey, what was that all about Sakura-chan?" Naruto demanded with jealousy.

"He gave me my necklace," Sakura whispered joyfully.

"But why did he have it?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Because I went to his house," she absentmindedly replied.

Wait - holy shit! She did _not _just tell them!

"You went to his _house? _Why the hell did you do that?"

Sasuke was beginning to become more protective and furious now, and so was Naruto, judging from his teeth-baring actions. Shikamaru was just standing there, looking at Sakura like she was crazy.

"I had a hard time before I came here, okay?" she confessed gravely. "My past was horrible and I needed someone to talk to, so please don't make me explain everything to you."

Naruto gazed at her awkwardly, Sasuke stared at her with a blank expression, and Shikamaru simply yawned.

"Just next time, speak to us about any problems you have," Naruto suggested.

"Yes, you can trust us," Shikamaru agreed lazily.

"Yeah, Hatake looks like he could rape any girl any day," Sasuke suddenly piped.

Sakura's face grew red and she stammered, "Like in hell he would ever do that!"

"I'm just saying!"

"Shut up Sasuke!"

"Awe common, I really don't think a girl like you can hurt me - Ouch!"

"Hell yeah, so shut up."

" . . . Fine."

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><p>AN: Phew! That took FOREVER for me to write. At first, I was running low on ideas o_o so I couldn't think of ANYTHING.

Anyways, thanks for reading and please do review!


	3. Similar Lives

A/N: Hey everybody, it's me again and I'm back with another chapter of For You.

Sorry if the last chapter jumped around too much, but if you at least understood what was going on then I'm good. And if not, then I'm sorry ... again.

Anyways, I tried to make this chapter pretty long and it took me a while so I hope you enjoy!

Please Review!

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><p>Sakura walked into the classroom with Naruto and Shikamaru by her side, the three of them laughing silently at Lee whom had just fell back on his chair. Apparently he tried to look 'cool' in front of Sakura, only to have a complete failure in doing so.<p>

The pink-haired girl decided to help him up anyways, considering that he was a new friend of hers, and he had embarrassingly thanked her afterward.

Lee didn't have any more tricks up his sleeve since he just sat there in his seat, his face dug into his crossed arms.

After a few minutes, the bell rang and Kakashi strode in front of the class, a pile of papers in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He glared at every single student's face before sucking in a deep breath.

"Good morning class," he began, "In my hand, I have a stack of papers. They're not any ordinary paper because they are your paragraphs from yesterday. I have graded them and I am going to hand them back to you." His voice was becoming more stern. "Not many of you did as well as I wanted, but at least it was good enough that I didn't have to give extra homework. The class average is a B+."

Kakashi immediately started handing back the paragraphs. One by one, each student received their paper, only to have a frown spread across their faces. This worried Sakura, for most of the class seemingly disliked their grade while very few of them smiled victoriously.

"Damn it," breathed Naruto, "I got a freaking B. I thought this paper was good enough for an A!" He crossed his arms after stuffing his paper into his backpack, his eyebrows furrowing to the sight of Kakashi eyeing him suspiciously.

"Geez Naruto, calm down. I have a B too," muttered Shikamaru as he waved his grade in the air.

Sakura stared blankly at her desk. She didn't have her paper yet. She was pretty sure that she was going to be the last one to receive it, considering that Kakashi had that little talk with her yesterday. Truthfully, she was scared. She had written down a little summary of her dark past and it of course had an impact on Kakashi. If she'd had known better, she probably got a C on this-

"Here you go, Sakura."

Kakashi suddenly placed her paper face-flat onto her desk, his masculine voice shaking her away from thought.

Sakura shakily flipped it over, only to have her eyes widen to the point where it seemed as if her eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets. There, right in front of her, was her paragraph with the given grade of an A+. A perfect grade. No mistakes. No ... nothing! Oh now ... now she was completely shocked.

"Dang, pinky!" hissed Shikamaru as he leaned over to look. "You have a perfect grade! Hatake never gives out perfect grades. In fact, he hasn't given out an A+ since ... forever. I can't remember the last time he gave out an A+ to a student."

"What the hell? Are you like a favorite student or something, Sakura-chan?" huffed Naruto with envy.

"I don't think he has any favorite students, Uzumaki," replied Shikamaru, "But one thing for sure is that Sakura must be damn smart. Too damn smart."

Sakura zoned out for a couple of moments before snapping back into reality. After listening to what Shikamaru and Naruto had said, maybe there is something up with this guy. If he was that strict and never gave out any A+, why would he give out a perfect grade now? Especially to a new student like her.

That Mr. Hatake is sure a mystery.

"Now if you would all shut up and listen," Kakashi suddenly stated rudely, "I would like to begin today's real lesson on writing poems."

A boy named Sasori immediately disagreed with this decision and groaned aloud with his buddy Kankuro. A couple of other students like Temari, Kankuro's sister, and Choji tried to tell them to zip their lips shut, but the two boys continued to groan.

"Sasori. You have earned yourself lunch detention for today," announced Kakashi, his mismatched eyes almost as dark as the night sky. "And Kankuro, don't think you've slipped through my fingers. You have lunch detention too."

"Hey Kakashi, are you having one of your grumpy days again?" snickered Sasori, his smirk widening.

"Sasori, go to the principals office this instant!" growled the teacher, fists clenching.

"Aw, shut up old man," muttered Sasori as he began trudging out of the classroom.

Sakura found this moment to be very horrific, to be honest. She never imagined that Kakashi could get this angry in a matter of minutes. It was almost as if he too had a bad past. She better not probe at that then ...

"Red-head, I said go to the principals office," he said sternly.

"I am, gramps. Can't you just calm down for once? I like it better when you're all nice and not having one of your stupid mood swings," murmured Sasori as he reached the doorway, "Actually, I liked it better when you were normal."

Normal. Kakashi was normal before? But isn't he a regular being now?

"Sasori," Kakashi hissed angrily, "Go fuck off somewhere else."

Before Sakura knew it, she was tied in between the conflict too.

"Kakashi, just stop," she absentmindedly stated somewhat coolly.

"Sakura?"

Everyone turned to look at her, including the teacher.

"Sasori has a right to not be emotionally abused. Just let him go to the principal's office and stop cursing at him," she explained, her jade eyes glued to the shocked red-headed boy.

"And what makes you think that?" questioned Kakashi, his temper seeming to cool off a bit at the sight of Sakura standing up for Sasori.

Sakura shrugged and replied, "It's not nice to tell someone to _fuck off_ somewhere else. It hurts the other people around you too, if you haven't noticed."

Kakashi glared at her with an intense gaze. It nearly struck her with fear.

He stared at the floor and said, "Sasori, just head to the principal's office now."

Sasori sighed in relief and mouthed the words 'thank you' toward Sakura and scurried out of the classroom. Everyone was still looking at her though, but she didn't care. Sasori had a right to not be emotionally abused, especially since it was the teacher who was doing to abuse.

She just wondered what happened to Kakashi anyways. He seemed so nice that other day. So nice and harmless. But today, she guessed that she was wrong considering that he just cursed at Sasori and had recently told his whole class to shut up.

"Psst, Sakura!"

She turned to look at her left to find Naruto gazing at her with big blue eyes.

"I can't believe you actually stood up for Sasori!" he whispered.

... Silence ...

"You know, Hatake here never stops just like that, even if a student tries to argue with him. But when you spoke up ... he just looked at you like you were different," Naruto continued silently as he every now and then glanced at the teacher.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_ The bell suddenly rang, shaking the students away from their thoughts. Everyone began filing out of the classroom hurriedly, some still afraid of Kakashi and others just wanting to escape the conflict.

Naruto had too ran out like the others, but Shikamaru stuck by her side. Sakura didn't even bother to rush, really. She took her time and looked as if nothing had happened.

"Sakura, may I talk to you?"

The silver-haired man came up to her and gazed at her blankly, his red eye growing somewhat more darker and ... blood-like.

"Kakashi, just forget it." Sakura gathered her books and stood by Shikamaru's side. "I already had enough of this predicament and I already told you I'm trying to start fresh. I had a horrible past, and I suppose that you had one too. I know how to stop these kind of arguments and I'm not afraid anymore, considering that conflicts were practically my whole life. And if I have detention or something like that, then alright. I'll go to detention."

Kakashi stared at her with soft eyes and hung his head.

"I just wanted to say thanks for standing up for Sasori and for stopping me," he murmured, "If you hadn't, who knows what I could have done. I could have hurt Sasori ... maybe even the whole class if I was angry enough." He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "And yes, I did have a dark past. Similar to yours, Sakura. I'm just sorry I took it all out on you guys."

"I guess we can both help each other then," said Sakura as she turned her back on him, "You can help me and I can help you ... Shikamaru, let's go."

Her and Shikamaru strode out of the classroom to their next class, not caring whether they were going to be late or not. Genma wouldn't mind ... they hoped he wouldn't mind.

"Sakura, I never met anyone who could get through Kakashi that easily," remared Shikamaru.

"In a way, we're similar. We're both trapped in the midst of our pasts," she breathed, "It's none of your business, really. Just leave this predicament to me and him. It's nothing major, either."

"It seems like it's major."

"Well it's not. We just have to move on."

"Oh, Sakura. Remember what happened yesterday when he..."

"Yes."

"Is that connected to - erhm - this?"

_"So please, allow me to help you."_

So. That was why. He had wanted to help her from the beginning because they were both alike through the similarities in their pasts. He had always wanted to help her rid of her dark past because he didn't want her to end up like him.

_"And yes, it was a month before I saw my parents. But I wasn't the same. My heart was barren, only full of sorrowful tears and regrets. I felt terrible back then. It was all my fault. If I had only stayed, I would have died with pride. I would have died with my loved ones."_

She wondered ... had he lost his loved ones too? Had he left his own little family like she had? Or was it that he had done the same thing that she had, except something more drastic?

_He brought his hand up from his pocket and held hers, his fingers intertwined with her own. After a quick second, he released it, then closed her fingers ..._

"I suppose it does, in a way."

Sakura closed her eyes for a quick second before entering her history class, only for her and Shikamaru to be questioned by Genma.

. . .

She was watching him. She didn't know why, but she just was.

Over on the other side of the field was Kakashi Hatake, sitting on a bench with his face glued to his hands. He looked like a mirror-image of herself.

Sakura could remember when she had always done sit alone by herself to think or to regret.

He was just like her.

She finally had someone to talk to. Someone who had experienced the same pain. She was finally not alone.

Kakashi suddenly looked in her direction. Their gazed were locked and they stared at each other for a long time, not exchanging any words or any gestures. They were just staring. Perhaps exchanging thoughts, if it was even possible.

Without thinking, Sakura waved him off and continued to walk back home, her backpack slung over her shoulder and her books clumped in her hands.

She wondered and thought ...

He was just like her.

But the only problem was that ... He was a teacher and she was a student.

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><p>Did you like?<p>

Review please


	4. Accident

A/N: Hello to everyone!

I just realized that I didn't put a disclaimer on the last three chapters so ...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of Naruto

I forgot to put that in my others stories too (x I'm forgetful, but just make note that I don't own Naruto.

Anyways, I would love to say thanks to everyone who reviewed and read my stories. If you were that person who only read the story, then I hate you! No, I'm kidding. But I would love to have all of your critique (:

I know that it got a little too dramatic on the second and third chapter ... or is it just my imagination. Nah ... anyways, sorry if you disliked the drama. I am going try to put Sakura and Kakashi at ease so that they can bond more and such so bear with me.

Enjoy this chapter!

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><p>The clock kept ticking and ticking, making the day seem longer by the minute. And Genma's explanations and lectures made it even worse. Sakura just wasn't having the best day, especially since she involved herself in the conflict during first period. Feeling the tension arise in her stomach again, she dug her face into her crossed arms and closed her eyes. To be honest, Sakura didn't know why she took part in the argument. An effect from terror, perhaps.<p>

_"Now if you would all shut up and listen, I would like to begin today's real lesson on writing poems."_

A small breath escaped her lips and hit her skin, sending chills up her spine. In hope of removing the endless flashbacks, she took her pencil in hand and began doodling in a new page of her notebook, her ears oblivious to the sound of Genma teaching a new history lesson.

At first, Sakura was unsure of what she was drawing. There ended up being a young girl with neither long nor short hair - more like medium - who was rubbing her watery eyes with her curled fists. A minute passed by and then there was a set of two hands placed on her shoulders and a taller figure behind her. Instead of filling in the details of the other person in the background, she carefully outlined the little girl with more pressure and added shadows.

_"Go fuck off somewhere else."_

Second by second ... Minute by minute ... The picture was becoming more detailed and sorrowful rather than joyful. Without thinking, she drew tears sliding down the girl's cheeks, adding even more dramatic effects. Then her attention was turned to the figure behind her. Having no more of those 'brilliant' ideas, Sakura sighed and let her forehead fall flat on the paper. The sight of her drawing up so close made her own eyes water.

_"And yes, I did have a dark past. Similar to yours, Sakura. I'm just sorry I took it all out on you guys."_

Something clicked in her brain and she immediately began drawing again. Sakura sketched a slightly larger head beside the mysterious girl's and eventually drew the hair which seemed unusually familiar. Not wanting to put it at much thought, she ignored it for the time being and added the finishing touches to her doodle. Truthfully, she didn't think it wasn't that bad of a picture but it did sadden her a little. At least she knows another way of how to let her emotions go.

__"So please, allow me to help you."__

The bell sounded off and filled her eardrums, shaking the pink-haired student back into reality. Not caring whether she'd be late or not, Sakura took her time in packing and gathering her things. But before she could even leave, Genma had reached her and grabbed her by the wrist. For a moment, she was frightened and confused but quickly realized that he has noticed the lack of her attention on the lesson.

"Sakura, you weren't paying any attention to the history lesson today," stated Genma, "You missed out on a lot of the chapter reading and didn't participate in answering some of my questions. Honestly, I'm disappointed in you, kiddo."

Suddenly, his dark black eyes flickered toward her desk, giving Sakura an idea of what he was staring at. Eventually, Genma picked up her notebook and held it close to his face. She didn't know if she was going to get in trouble. Seriously, she never wanted to take part in any kind of conflict even if it was her fault. Despite the fact that she was a new student, there is still a chance she might be put into detention for the lack of attention. She knows that's a possibility.

"I thought I knew why you were so down lately," he sighed as he let it flop face-flat back onto the desk, "I heard a bunch of muffled yelling earlier this morning and assumed it was Hatake and another of his stupid students."

Sakura shot a puzzled glance at him.

"Another assumption was you stuck in the middle of the argument. Did I guess right?"

A simple yet small nod answered his question.

"Alright, it's okay." Genma patted her gently on the back. "I could see why you'd act so frustrated. Being tied in one of Kakashi's conflicts could be one of the most hardest things you have ever encountered in your life." He finished the last of his sentence as he began jotting a couple of words down onto a yellow sticky-note.

"Wait, how would you know that?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"I've been buddies with that silver-headed guy since high school. We've had a lot of good memories and a lot of painful memories. And the painful memories were seeing Kakashi in distress," Genma explained silently, "I can't really explain how he ended up like that but I suppose you know what I mean."

The chestnut-haired teacher smiled slightly in hope of lightening the mood up and handed the paper to her. "Here's your late pass to your next class. I could also give your following classes a call about your bad day so that they can take it easy on you..."

"No it's okay, Genma," interrupted Sakura, "Thanks for your concern anyways. I apologize for not giving you my attention and I will read the chapters we were studying to make up for it. And I feel a whole lot better after talking to you, although I didn't really say much, did I?" A sheepish grin managed its way onto her face.

"A nod and a question is good enough to be considered talking in my world," he chuckled as he escorted her out the classroom. He smiled as he watched her walk away. "Take it easy, kiddo," he whispered to himself, "Take it easy."

. . .

With a clink and a clang, Sakura settled her tray of food onto the lunch table and gladly accepted a seat offered by Shikamaru. She managed to squeeze in between him and Ino - Ino's full name is Ino Yamanaka. She's a really nice girl but loves to gossip so everyone tries to avoid talking about secrets around her - and began munching on her food.

And unlike any other school, the food was practically first class and tasted unique. Plus, the lunch room wasn't covered with cobwebs or gum. It was clean throughout the whole area and was set up pretty decently.

"Hey, Sakura?"

Shikamaru poked her on the arm, catching her attention.

"Hm?" hummed Sakura as she sipped on her bottle of water.

"How come you weren't present in science for a quarter of the class? Did Genma keep you waiting or something?" he asked curiously.

Sakura bit back a frown. If he and the rest of her friends were to find out about her little thoughts on the argument in first period, they would most likely bother her about it, including Kakashi. Now that is something unnecessary.

"I just needed to ask a few questions about the history lesson," she lied.

His black eyes were narrowed and his lips were nearly pressed into a pout.

She had an idea that he wasn't really convinced.

But thank God Shikamaru played along.

"Oh right. That lesson was a little too much for me too," he yawned as he brought his hand to his face, "Maybe I should have stayed to ask questions too."

Knowing what he was trying to suggest to her, she elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to try to stifle a groan. Smiling inwardly, Sakura continued to eat her lunch while Shikamaru repeatedly winced.

Shikamaru just wanted to know what was up though. She could tell. Well he was trustworthy enough to hold at least one secret of hers ... Maybe she'd tell him later.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sakura's eyes flickered at Kiba. He was continuously tapping on the table with his finger, his dog-like eyes glued to her face. She wondered what he wanted.

"I saw that," he stated.

Panic overcame her. "S-saw what? What do you mean?"

"I saw what you did to Shikamaru," he laughed hysterically, "And I can't believe that you actually hurt him. Are you that tough of a girl or what?"

Relief. Oh sweet relief.

Sakura managed to grin. "Ah, well he wanted to borrow some money."

The black-haired boy stared arrogantly at her.

"And you had to elbow him in the stomach?" gawked Kiba, his hood slipping off his head.

"He wouldn't stop bugging me."

"...I guess I would do that too if Akamaru kept pissing on my bed."

"Ha, you are so mature Kiba," snorted Shikamaru.

Deciding that she has had enough of this so called 'teasing' game, Sakura pulled Shikamaru to another open table and sat with him, hoping that Kiba wouldn't follow with his pointless jokes.

He didn't ...

So she began talking.

"Okay, so why did you drag me here Pinky?" questioned Shikamaru after shooting a glance towards their puzzled friends.

"You knew I was lying."

Shikamaru blinked twice after remembering what she had said a couple minutes back. Eventually, he shrugged and opened his mouth to talk.

"Yeah, so - um - what was up?"

Sakura frowned. "First period."

"Oh..." The boy paused to think back. "Right. That yelling and those somewhat violent words."

She didn't bother to reply or add any detail onto his sentence.

"Was that why you held back in history?"

"Genma had an idea because he heard all of the ruckus. He told me that after he took a look of me, he inferred that I was stuck right in between the conflict."

"Well you were but you wanted to stand up to Kakashi."

"I know."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and propped his elbow up, having his chin settle on the palm of his hand. "Why," he whispered, almost too quiet to be heard over all of the yelling students in the cafeteria.

"I know how to stop these kind of arguments."

"I suppose that isn't even half of the reason." Shikamaru shot her a glum face.

Sakura groaned. "Can't you give a new student a break from all of the drama?"

"Hey," he snickered, "You're the one who wanted to talk 'bout it anyways."

He made a good point.

She had wanted to talk about it despite the odd sick feeling it gave her.

Before Sakura had even said another word, Shikamaru stood up and slung his backpack onto one shoulder. "Sakura, I'm not gonna lie to you. If you really don't want to tell me anything, just don't. I don't like watching people forcing themselves to speak up about something so private." He motioned for her to stand up, so she did. "Besides that, lunch is almost over. We have a minute and a half before the bell rings."

"Almost over? It felt like ten minu-"

The bell rang.

Immediately, Sakura glared at Shikamaru.

"I'm not good at telling time, okay?" he sighed embarrassingly, his face growing a tad bit red.

She smiled mockingly at him. "I could see why. A lazy bum like you would never try to tell time."

"I can't believe that I'm agreeing with you," he chuckled.

Then the both of them left the lunch room to walk to their next class.

. . .

As Sakura stepped into the gym, she felt chills ride up and down her spine. It was like being dragged into a demon's mind. The eerie feeling was just too much for her. It was just a gym, she tried to tell herself. It was just a gym indeed, but the building itself wasn't the thing that was bothering her. The fact that her PE teacher is Kakashi Hatake is what was bugging her.

To be honest, she was still horrified from the frightful events that occurred early in the morning.

She knows he's really kind deep inside but after watching the horror that nearly broke her, she can't really trust herself to stay calm around him anymore.

"Sakura-chan!"

Naruto skipped over to her, dragging Sasuke along with him.

"I haven't seen you since first period!" he gleefully exclaimed.

First period.

The events began to crawl back into her mind again.

She shuddered and Sasuke nudged Naruto, having a feeling that she was growing uncomfortable, and quickly changed the subject.

"So how are you liking the Track and Field drills we've been doing this week?"

"Oh, they're nothing," she mumbled.

"It's easy for you? Running is never easy!" gasped Naruto.

"I agree that it's never easy," she said as she smiled slightly, "But I love running. I was in my Track and Field team back in middle school. We won first place three years in a row and it was really fun."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged puzzled glances.

"Is loving to run wrong?" she laughed.

"I love racing at some points in my life," stated Sasuke, "But I don't think running is that pleasing."

Naruto agreed with the Uchiha.

"Well everyone's opinions differ," she replied quite happily.

"Hey - um - everybody!"

Kakashi walked out the boy's locker room door with a bag of batons and other Track and Field equipment. The sight of all of the items made the students want to whine loudly. Now they knew that whatever they were doing today, it was going to be hard work.

Sakura couldn't help to agree more and stood behind Hinata and Sasuke, not forgetting to keep her distance between herself and Kakashi. The Uchiha seemed to notice and tried to question her for her unusual action but Kakashi began explaining the activities, saving Sakura from giving her own explanation.

"Today we are running the following events: the two hundred and the four by one. You will each be put into a team that I will pick. All of you will have to run but one person in each team has to run twice, including the two hundred and the one hundred," he explained briefly.

He began picking the teams. Each group was full of skilled runners and athletes that it almost made Sakura envy them. Just hoping that she would receive a good team full of known people, she crossed her fingers and closed her eyes.

"Team Seven is Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto."

A joyous emotion overcame her as she playfully nudged Sasuke and Hinata on the arm. Afterward, Sakura looked up and caught Kakashi's eye. She immediately turned away to face her team again to avoid his gaze.

At the moment, she wanted no part of him.

"Alright. Go to the track and begin selecting each person's event and running places. When you are done, I guess you can prepare your own warm-up drills if you would like to. I am giving you guys ten to fifteen minutes starting now."

The whole class jogged out into the sunny daylight and did as what Kakashi had told them to do. Everyone was actually excited for the competition and some were so competitive that they announced that they would be the ones who would win first place.

"Okay, I'll run the two hundred and be anchor for the four by one," exclaimed Sakura, "Hinata, you can run first. Sasuke and Naruto, you decide which one of you would be second or third."

"I'll be third!" called Naruto, his hand furiously waving in the air.

Sasuke shot him an angry glare and muttered, "Fine, I'll run second."

"Good, now all we have to do is wait for the rest of the teams until they are ready," she sighed as she gave a slight smile, "And don't worry. It's not about who wins. Just have fun and don't overdo it."

"Don't overdo it. Pfft," huffed Sasuke, "You know there isn't any breaks in between the events right? You'd be exhausted by the time Naruto hands the baton off to you. Plus, the results all depend on you."

"I'll be fine," groaned Sakura as she crossed her arms, "I can take care of myself."

The Uchiha shook his head and began stretching his arms and legs in hope of relieving any tight muscles or joints. It seemed like a pretty good idea so the rest of the team began following his stretching exercises. On a couple of the drills, Naruto began complaining because he thought it made him look like a fool. Everyone ignored him despite the loud groaning. He was already a fool so why does it matter?

"Alright everybody! We are going to start the two hundred."

Kakashi's loud and demanding voice brought his class gathering around him with shaking legs and widening eyes. Apparently, all of the students were filled with anxiety.

"Racers, on your mark..." He paused to check if every racer was at the starting line. "Get set..."

Another long set of silent seconds. It was becoming more unnerving and the atmosphere had began to fill itself with displeasure and more of an eerie feeling. To be honest, Sakura was just as nervous as her competitors.

"Go!" he suddenly shouted, his arm slashing down in front of him.

And then the students were off, running with unusual yet amazing speed.

The adrenaline was rushing through Sakura's veins. The wind blowing back her pink hair almost distracted her from trying to win. Her eyes watering to the strong breeze pushing past her made it even more difficult. But she didn't stop. In fact, this race was unlike any other. It made her feel more free and alive. And the faded yet noticeable roar of the students made it enjoyable.

All of a sudden, her feet skidded to a stop, nearly making her stumble onto the ground. She looked over her shoulder to only find the rest of the racers crossing the finish line. Feeling victorious, Sakura smiled and waved to her team on the far end of the track.

"Sakura-chan, watch out!"

Kiba crashed into her with great force and the both of them fell back onto the ground, his elbow accidentally jamming into her stomach. Stars began to burst in her vision and she suddenly felt short of breath. Not being able to stand up properly, she let herself lay there.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Kiba apologized frantically as he tried to help her up. Unable to bring her to her feet, he sat beside her and continuously waved his hand at her for oxygen. "I'm terribly sorry Sakura! It's just that when I run, I can barely stop myself in the end after running so fast. I-I'm sorry," he murmured worriedly.

Sakura managed to grin reassuringly. "I'm fine. It's not your fault. It happens to me too," she coughed.

"I would believe that you would bump into someone after failing to try to stop yourself from running, but jamming an elbow into a friend's stomach ... It's just unforgivable," he wailed, "I'm unforgivable."

A minute of silence passed and she finally sat up. Pain shot throughout her stomach and she clutched onto it, feeling sick and dizzy. Sakura blinked twice in confusion, not knowing whether if she was still conscious or not. Everything was just so blurry that it was hard to decide if she was even alive.

After pressing her hand to her forehead, she glanced around to find Kiba long gone. She thought she saw his figure trying to get help on the other side of the track. But just staring into the distance gave her a headache. This day turned from bad into fucking worse.

_"So please, allow me to help you."_

"Sakura ... Jesus Christ."

Sakura looked up to only have her gaze locked with Kakashi's. She stared at him reluctantly, unsure if she should accept his help. Without the student's permission, Kakashi brushed his thumb against the corner of her lip and trailed it down to her chin, then brought it to his face. Something red gleamed in front of her eyes. Blood. Her blood. She shuddered and looked away, afraid to see at her own seeping flesh.

"Fuck," he silently cursed as he brought his hand to his forehead, "Alright kiddo, we need to bring you to a hospital or something. If you're bleeding this much, I might as well immediately take you to one. I could have a student run to the office and check you out and..." His voice trailed off into silence. Perhaps he was thinking to himself now considering that his lips were sealed shut.

"Can you stand?" he slowly asked.

He offered a hand but she frantically refused his help.

Sakura managed to get up on her feet and stand for at least a couple of seconds before collapsing to her knees once again. Her mind was just spinning, her vision was blurry and distorted, and something was beginning to bubble in the bottom of her gut. Feeling yet another jolt of pain, she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

She couldn't believe a single blow in the stomach could bring so much pain and distress.

All of a sudden, Kakashi hooked his arm through her armpit and behind her back, swiftly bringing her up into his arms. Shock overcame her as he brought her head to his chest. She felt his grip on her tighten as he began walking. The sound of all of her classmates worrying and questioning him eventually became oblivious to her ears.

All she heard was him and all she saw was him.

. . .

She watched the passing by trees and other natural objects through the car window. The car's engine roared as it sped up a little, nearly beating a red light. Panic was still by her side, including all of the haunting flashbacks from all of those disappointing and distressful events. At least the blood stopped seeping out of her lips, but she can still taste the bitter dry taste in her throat. Plus, her stomach was still in pain. She was absolutely sure that Kiba had given her a bruise.

"Sakura, you're so fragile."

She rolled her eyes to the right to look at Kakashi, her cheek still settled on the window. He wasn't looking at her - and thank God he wasn't because he should be paying attention to the road - but his face held the worry and fright from PE.

"It looks like you're still confused from your first period class. Perhaps you are mad at me," he breathed. "Well I can't blame you for having to stop an immature person such as myself."

... Silence ...

"Kiddo, I am really sorry for - um - acting up during English. I think I already apologized to you, but I just can't seem to get that predicament off my mind, especially since you're the one who ended it," he continued, "And I'm sorry for what happened to you during PE. Kiba didn't mean it and I am sure that you know he's probably worrying like hell right now. It's not your fault either. You didn't see it coming."

Sakura gave no response. She was unable to speak to him. Not literally, but it was just uncomfortable to be around him. There was a time where she would always have nothing to say. That time is happening this very moment. Sakura didn't know what to tell him. She just didn't know.

"Sakura, I can't stand to see you like this. You're a kind girl and you don't deserve this kind of drama and pain," murmured Kakashi as he put the car into reverse.

Sakura had an idea that they have arrived in the hospital.

"Please ... can you talk to me for a few minutes? At least tell me you're fine."

The pink-haired teenager released a low breath and glanced at him. His face was pale and held so much distraught. The usual and happy glow in his eyes no longer existed and all she saw was a gloomy day behind those broken walls. Like how he felt bad when he looked at her saddened face, the roles switched and she was feeling the same exact emotion that she guessed he experienced.

"Thank you for helping me," Sakura finally managed to whisper, "And it's not your fault that you broke out into frustration. It happens to everyone."

"I'm a teacher though. I am supposed to be more mature about those kind of situations." His voice began to sound more bitter and low as if he was beginning to feel sorrow. Maybe after looking back at what he did, he thought it was horrible.

"Everyone has a child inside of themselves, Kakashi." A small grin crossed her face and Sakura adjusted her head so that she would be sitting properly. "You can't expect everyone to act like an adult."

Kakashi didn't reply and he finally finished parking the car.

"Can you walk? Are you still hurt?" he suddenly questioned.

"Geez, I'm fine," she assured, "Maybe a bruise on the stomach and that's it. I still taste blood in my throat though."

"Then you're going to have to be checked up." Kakashi got out of the car and helped her walk to the entrance. "Are you sure you're in a good condition like you said you were? It seems that you are still weak from the blow."

Sakura smirked. "I'm not a child."

"Hey, I thought you said that everyone obtains this so called inner child," mocked Kakashi, his mismatched eyes cringing joyously.

"Shut up."

"That's not how you're supposed to talk to a teacher," he innocently whined.

"Well you sure aren't acting like one," Sakura commented.

Kakashi hung his head sheepishly. "Well gee, thanks."

"Excuse me, Mister."

A black-haired woman strode up to him and Sakura with a puzzled expression. She had a short cut hair that was pretty appealing for a young woman like her. She wore a doctor's coat and had a pencil in one hand and a clipboard in the other. If Kakashi was to guess her age, he'd say around the thirties. Maybe younger.

"May I ask you of your name? I haven't seen you taking care of Sakura before," she inquired, "The only care-takers of Sakura that I know of is her father and her mother." She narrowed her eyes toward the silver-haired man. "I don't even think we have met.

"Oh Shizune," said Sakura in realization, "He's not-"

"Oh no, you've mistaken me for her guardian. I'm her English and PE teacher, Kakashi Hatake," interrupted Kakashi, ignoring his students restless nudges, "You see, she was in an accident during PE so I brought her here for a check up."

"Ah yes, you're Kakashi Hatake. I recall seeing you hanging around the waiting room. Anyways...Tsunade, your doctor, has shown me your medical files and records. You have had a lot of lousy injuries in the past and even tried to escape this place a couple of times," she stated sternly, "You're an odd fellow for attempting escape."

"You tried escaping?" gawked Sakura, her eyes flickering with curiosity.

"I hate hospitals," he muttered, "And I'll have you know that I'm not that strange of a person."

"Moving on..." Shizune began walking again, only to have Sakura and Kakashi follow her. She jotted down a couple of notes onto her paperwork before saying, "I will now be taking Sakura with me so if you would excuse us..."

"Hold on for a moment, please. I would like to have a quick word with Sakura."

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	5. Picture

A/N: Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto and I never will

Thanks to all readers out there! And thanks for your reviews too!

~Onward with the story~

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><p>"Moving on..." Shizune began walking again, only to have Sakura and Kakashi follow her. She jotted down a couple of notes onto her paperwork, taking a quick glance at Sakura every now and then, before saying, "I will now be taking Sakura with me for her check-up so if you would excuse us…"<p>

Kakashi suddenly placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder and stared expectantly at Shizune, her doctor, who was now glaring at him incredulously. He sighed and stated, "Hold on for a moment, please. I would like to have a quick word with Sakura…alone."

The doctor rolled her eyes at the silver-haired teacher and strode into an open room. The last thing that she had said was, "Sakura, when you are done talking to your teacher, Mr. Hatake, please don't hesitate to walk right in here. We will start your check-up from that point."

Sakura stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do. Honestly, she just wanted to get this appointment over with so she would be able to go back home and take it easy. Unfortunately, Kakashi had said that he needed a word with her, delaying her from resting peacefully. She hoped that this conversation would be worth it…

"Listen, kiddo. Genma talked to me earlier this morning about your 'unusual' behavior and it worried me a lot. I know I should have mentioned this back in the car where it was more private, but I guess I forgot about it," he mumbled, "And during PE, I was hoping that you would have been feeling better since the incident. Instead, I found you trying to avoid me at all cost. I know that I have already said this once, but I'm terribly sorry for acting up. I most likely created a horrible impression on you and probably frightened you with my sudden change of attitude."

"Kakashi, can we try to forget about it?" asked Sakura silently. "I don't really like looking back on those kind of events and I honestly dislike watching you go through so much stress. Plus, I have already forgiven you so there is no need to worry about it." She gave a small chuckle and waved him off. "I'm going to have my check-up now."

He nodded and gulped. "I can drive you home, if you'd like."

"Are you sure?" questioned the student.

"Definitely. So I guess I'll be waiting in the waiting room."

"Yeah," she said calmly, "okay."

After shooting her teacher a quick glance, she strode into the check-up room that Dr. Shizune mentioned. The black-haired woman instructed for her to take a seat on the examination table and continued to study the list of things she had on her documents. Sakura impatiently waited as she watched her scan through the papers. And then finally, Shizune spun around and stared at her client.

"So, what exactly happened?" she questioned.

Sakura released a small breath. "We were running an event. I crossed the line first but had a slow reaction to my competitor's warning and collided into him. During the collision, the boy, Kiba, accidentally elbowed me in the stomach with great force, causing me to spit a little blood out."

"Well that explains the dried blood on your chin," remarked Shizune as she wiped the dry red liquid away with a tissue, "If you don't mind, I would like to have you to remove your shirt so I can inspect the damage on your stomach."

The pink-haired girl nodded and did as she was told to do. She watched as her PE shirt fell to the floor, trying to ignore the fact that Shizune was watching her with a close eye. Not that she was uncomfortable - she knew that it had to come to this - but she really didn't want to go through the examination.

Shizune's fingers pressed over the bruise by her abdomen, causing Sakura to wince in pain. "I see that you are having pains with the slightest touch I make on your stomach," she sighed, "Well unfortunately, it appears as if the pain won't subside until perhaps a couple weeks. Good thing that it wasn't something too major, but you will be having stomach pains for the next few days and I am forbidding you from participating in Physical Education for a week. I will print out an excuse letter for you and a list of medication that you should take. I will also contact your parents during my spare time."

"I understand," mumbled Sakura as she slipped her shirt back on, "Is there any other exercises that I should do to keep myself in shape while I'm not participating in PE?"

"Yes, actually. I want you to stretch at least five times a day for the next two weeks to strengthen your muscles. At the moment, you seem pretty fragile-"

Great. That was exactly what Kakashi had told her. She was fragile.

"-but I suspect that you will become stronger over the next couple of months."

"I see," said Sakura, "Well thanks, Shizune. You've been a big help."

"No problem, Sakura," replied Shizune, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to rush back to Tsunade."

Tsunade. That name sounded very familiar.

"Um, Dr. Shizune?"

"Yes, child?" Shizune eyed her as she gathered her things.

"Isn't Tsunade a world-wide famous doctor or something?"

"Aha, I'm surprised to find that a young teenager as yourself knows such a fact," she laughed, "Yes, she is. I am her niece, to be honest. I've been accompanying her whenever she took off on a trip. She was born here in Konoha."

"Well I was interested in becoming a doctor, and I still am. I read a couple of books about her and I was shocked to find out that she was such an amazing person. And it's exciting that Konoha is her homeland," Sakura happily replied.

Shizune smiled and bowed her head slightly. "You're an interesting child indeed, Sakura Haruno. Now I shall be departing now. You can retrieve your list of medication and excuse note in the office with your teacher, Mr. Hatake."

She stepped out of the room along with Sakura and was just about to part in the other direction before chuckling, "You are a very lucky student to have a kind teacher such as Kakashi."

Sakura looked over her shoulder to find Shizune long gone. She was unsure if she was supposed to hear what she had said or if it was meant for her to hear. But she had to agree with her. Kakashi is a nice guy.

It took a while before the teenage girl reached the waiting room - she was thinking too much that she had bumped into a couple of the hallway furniture, including the wall.

She found Kakashi silently sitting in the corner of the room, his eyes planted on the open window. As if he sensed her presence, his attention was averted to her and he waved her over.

"How did it go?" he asked curiously as she claimed the seat beside him.

"Well I'm forbidden to participate in PE for a week, starting tomorrow. I have a bruise by my abdomen, a few scratches from the fall, and I have to strengthen my muscles by stretching at least five times a day," she explained briefly, "I'm not allowed to do anything risky either."

"Hn, maybe you could be my personal assistant meanwhile, if you're up for it," he suggested nonchalantly.

"I guess I can," she muttered unhappily, "I'm not going to be doing anything so might as well accept the 'job'."

"Why so down?" he wondered aloud.

Sakura shot him a callous glare. "Shizune said I'm fragile."

He didn't comment on her statement. She seemed to be in a bad mood for some apparent reason - maybe because Shizune had technically told her that she was weak - and he honestly did not want to make it worse. So for the better of it, he kept his lips sealed shut.

She suddenly decided that she would continue the conversation herself.

"Do you want to head out now?"

Kakashi gazed at her and simple nodded. "Sure."

The both of them stood up and walked their way through the office. Sakura had almost forgotten about the documents and immediately rushed to the front desk to retrieve them. It was a good thing that Kakashi decided that he wouldn't leave her behind because if he did, she would be lost in the parking lot, searching for his car.

The pink-haired student held the papers close to her chest as they parted from the hospital, their steps leading them to Kakashi's car - her ride back home.

She stepped in and he started the car. The engine roared loudly, creating a somewhat appealing echo in the atmosphere. A small puff of smoke dissolved into thin air and then they were off, driving through the streets of Konoha - specifically toward her apartment complex.

Neither of them decided that they would talk.

For Kakashi, he felt as if the moment was unusually awkward. Normally, he would be talking to her with much confidence, but today just didn't seem like any other.

As for Sakura, she assumed that he never wanted to speak to her in the first place. She didn't have a reason. It was just an assumption.

"Where do we go from here?" he suddenly asked, his gaze concentrated on the road.

She sighed. "Right turn, then take the straightaway until you reach the curb. From there, turn left and we should be at my apartment building."

"Thanks," he blandly replied.

After a couple more minutes of complete silence, they arrived at the building and Sakura hopped out of the vehicle, her backpack slung onto her shoulders, her notebooks and medication documents in her hands. She waved Kakashi off, telling him that he could leave now. Instead, he had too left the comfort of his car and decided that he would accompany her to her apartment complex.

Trying to open the entrance to the building, Sakura twisted at the knob a couple of times. Rather than successfully having it swing wide open for the two of them to step in, one of her notebooks fell flat onto the concrete steps, a few papers escaping the pages. She attempted to bend down to pick it up, but the effort had only caused more pain in her stomach.

Kakashi suddenly placed his hand on her arm. "Don't push yourself, Sakura."

He knelt to the ground and gathered the papers, quickly shuffling the them and the notebook into one stack. Then he told her that he would hold it until they reached her room and she didn't bother to argue. Actually, she thought it was sweet of him to do so.

Luckily, a person happened to exit and had willingly held the door open for them. Sakura and Kakashi gratefully entered after saying their thanks.

The student lead the way through the confusing, winding hallways of the building and up the stairwell. Finally, the both of them reached her apartment complex, Sakura releasing a breath of relief and Kakashi mentally laughing at her action.

"Well thanks for helping me out, Mr. Ha-" She paused and managed a sheepish smile. "-I haven't quite gotten used to calling you Kakashi yet, have I?"

"Nope, almost there," agreed the teacher.

She let the notebooks drop into one arm, allowing her to reach into her pocket. Within a second, she pulled out her apartment keys and handled opening the entrance herself.

While he waited patiently, Kakashi decided that he would take a 'sneak peek' at the notebook he was holding for her. He opened it to the first page to only find a beautiful picture of a couple - maybe friends - holding hands. He smiled at the sight, delighted to know that one of his students obtained an artistic talent. Feeling as if he should snoop a little more - he knew it was wrong but he can't help it - he flipped through a couple of more pages. All of a sudden, a loose page slipped out and fell to his feet. Wondering what it was, he picked it up with steady hands and glanced at the drawing.

At first, he was unsure of what it was. There was a young girl with neither long nor short hair - more like medium - who was rubbing her watery eyes with her curled fists. A set of two hands were placed on her shoulders and a taller figure - more like a grown man who didn't seem too old - behind her. He had spiky hair that fell over the right portion of his face. Other than that, there was nothing else that identified who he was. The picture wasn't colored either, which made it even harder to guess what this was all about.

The corner of his eye caught sight of Sakura wearily moving to face to him, and without thinking, he shoved the paper into his pocket and closed the notebook.

In case that Sakura suspected something, Kakashi quickly said, "Ah, you're a very talented artist, Sakura." He paused, wondering of what to say next. "I have to admit that I took a look at the first page because I was curious, so I apologize for snooping." He forced a grin to top it all off.

She seemed to have panic for a couple of moments before recollecting her thoughts.

"Nah, it's alright. There wasn't anything to keep a secret about anyways," she happily stated, "And thanks. I never really consider myself as talented, though."

She considers herself as untalented. She says that there wasn't anything to keep a secret. Oh, Sakura. Why have you lied so much to yourself? It doesn't make you do any better.

Okay. Calm down. He just needs time to think over this. The drawing he had recently took definitely reveals a lot about her and could most likely explain a lot of her emotions. He just needs to look at it more, and then he would slip it back in her notebook. Yes, now he just needs a plan…

"Before I go, do you happen to have a bathroom?" he absentmindedly questioned.

Sakura rose an eyebrow. "Where else would I do my business?"

"Ah, ah. Sorry for the stupid question," he mumbled dumbly, "I wasn't thinking straight. Let me ask again…" He paused to mentally slap himself. "Can I ask where your bathroom is? I need to use it."

"Of course," she smirked, "It's right across my bedroom. Right down the living room then to your right."

"Thanks."

Kakashi allowed himself to enter her home and followed her directions, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his fingers nervously flicking at the crumpled ball of paper. In less than a minute, he reached his destination and was just about to lock himself in until Sakura had popped into the small hallway.

"I'm going to be in the kitchen if you need me. Do you want anything to drink?" she asked kindly.

"Water would be fine."

"Okay."

She left him alone in the small hallway again. He stood still for a couple more seconds to make sure that he was indeed all alone, then entered the bathroom, immediately locking the door afterward.

Curiously, he spread the paper out across the counter top and studied the picture again.

There was a young girl in the front of the picture who was crying - not too young like a child but more of a teenager. Her hair fell to her shoulders and didn't appear to have too much volume, and her bangs covered a portion of her forehead. Her hands were curled up into ball and were pressed against her eyes - he had an idea that she was wiping the tears away. The last detail about her was her saddened frown.

As for the man behind her, there wasn't much to say about him. His hair was spiky, perhaps ruffled a little, and it covered his right eye from sight. His facial expression was blank and he didn't appear to be old, so he assumed that this mysterious person was close to the thirties.

All of a sudden, a scar caught the corner of Kakashi's eyes. He looked more carefully at the man's cheekbone to find part of a narrow scar trailing down halfway. Now this was too familiar now that he had spotted the detail.

Almost too familiar that it made it seem like it was…

Kakashi's eyes widened in realization.

It was her. And him.

Sakura was the girl crying, and he was the person who was comforting her.

"K-Kakashi, are you alright in there?"

Kakashi sighed and stuffed the picture back into his pocket. Uncomfortably, he unlocked the door and pulled it open to only find Sakura waiting behind it, her eyes full of question and worry. He shrugged and stepped out of her way. Instead of occupying the bathroom, she inspected it for some odd reason then turned to face him.

"It doesn't seem as if you used the toilet," she commented, "What were you doing?"

"Nothing," he lied flatly, "I was just checking a wound I got while helping Genma fix up his car a while ago."

She stared at him. He knew that she was unconvinced but what was there to do about it?

"Hm, okay." She went along with it anyways. "Still thirsty?"

"Yeah." He waved her off. "I just need to think about something for a moment. I'd appreciate if you'd leave me alone just for a couple of seconds so I can catch up with myself." He clumsily fell back against the wall. "Sorry for making you feel awkward, kid."

"No worries," she reassured, "I think to myself all the time." Sakura turned her back on him and took a couple of steps away from him. "Stop by the kitchen when you're ready." She left the hallway, her pink wavy hair bouncing behind her neck.

Kakashi sighed heavily and hung his head, his hand pressing to his forehead.

He just wondered why Sakura would draw a picture of herself with him comforting her. He could understand that he has been helping her out a lot lately and that the both of them are similar in some way. Perhaps there was something more than that. Something somewhere in the friendship area? No, it couldn't be. He never considered a student a friend and he isn't gonna start with her. Maybe it was just the fact that she cared about him. It is a possibility. After all, she stood up to him and even offered to give him personal advice when she had time. But…something still didn't make sense.

Giving up on his thoughts and theories, Kakashi walked to the kitchen and found Sakura staring blankly at the dishwasher. To avert her attention to him, he coughed silently and murmured, "So where was this refreshment you were speaking of?"

Her head jerked toward him and he could see that her mood has lightened up. She smiled slightly and handed him the water that he had kindly asked for, and he gladly chugged it all down - of course, with manners. He carefully placed the glass in the sink and allowed himself to lean against the refrigerator, his mismatched eyes taped to her face.

"So you live here?" he questioned curiously, his gaze flickering about.

"Not necessarily," she replied coolly, "Whenever my parents are on a month-long business trip, they rent a decent apartment for me nearby our actual house. They don't think I could handle the responsibility of watching over the whole house for a month so that's why they rented me an apartment. Every now and then, I would visit the house to check on it and clean the place up."

Kakashi suddenly felt bad for her. A young, innocent girl such as her has to put through so much trouble, and her parents aren't even there for her half of the time. No wonder she was always isolated. Silent. Afraid to let the world that she existed.

Sakura, oh, Sakura. She is truly a mystery.

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	6. Babysitting

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I'm currently in Illinois and I'm spending quality time with my family, so I might not be able to update any of my stories any time soon. Next week, I am going to Michigan and then Wisconsin, so I am going to be really busy. Just make note that I am really busy, okay?

I know I've been updating some of my stories but that was only because I had time to complete those chapters. I try to take my time on this story and such so once again, I'm sorry.

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto and I never will

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><p>Tiny beams of light invaded the darkness, slowly increasing in brightness until everything was a blurry white haze. The world was shaking. No. He could feel two petite hands gripping onto his shoulders, moving him back and forth vigorously. Now this movement was what had woke him up from his deep slumber.<p>

Groggily, Kakashi Hatake opened his eyes to only find his student Sakura Haruno standing right in front of him, her face not too far apart from his. Frowning ever so slightly, he gently nudged her away, his action telling her that he wanted to stand up. After she backed away, he stood on his feet and stretched for a little, his gaze flashing from one place to another.

He managed to catch the girl's attention and asked dryly, "Eh, Sakura? Do you mind telling me where I am? I don't exactly recall what had happened last night and my brain is jumbled from all of the conflicts that have happened the last two days." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head, his eyes crinkling in unison.

She shun the tiniest smile—it wasn't the happiest—and replied, "I was telling you a little bit about my life. Like how my parents have to constantly go on business trips without me." She paused for a short second to gather her thoughts. "Then an hour later, you started joking around and teased me because I still have a teddy bear."

He chuckled softly. "Ah, yes. I still cannot believe that you cuddle with plush animals, Sakura."

She ignored his remark and rolled her eyes. "Anyways…you fell asleep on my bed after checking if I was okay from the accident during sixth period. I was sitting right next to you when you dozed off so I just tucked you in and left you to sleep in my bedroom." She stifled a giggle.

Confusingly, Kakashi observed his surroundings to find that what she stated was true. He was in her bedroom. The walls were painted white, there were a couple of shelves by the open window to the left that held portraits of friends—he saw one where Naruto was jumping in the air and Sakura trying to push Shikamaru into the picture. A wooden caramel closet was to the right of the bed, and he was positive that it held her clothes and undergarments. There were a couple of hand-made posters too—he guessed she created them.

"Oh, right," he laughed, "I surely doubt that you tucked me in though, Sakura."

She smirked. "Really? I remember wrapping my sheets around you last night. You slept like a baby."

He groaned inwardly, "I'll have you know that I am a fully grown man. I will not stand being referred to a child or a baby. Besides, I know I'm rambunctious in my sleep. I toss and turn and roll all over the place." He knew that he began to sound like he was exaggerating.

"Lies," she smiled, "I found you in the exact same position."

Kakashi crossed his arms and titled his head to the side. "Heh, whatever." He took a final glance of her bedroom. "Hey, where did you nap if I slept here?"

Sakura shrugged. "On the couch."

His throat went dry and he felt a pinch of regret bubbling up in his gut. Here he was, awakening from sleeping in her bedroom where she was supposedly supposed to be resting and healing from her injury. Plus, he was her instructor and she was his pupil. What kind of a teacher does that make him if he crashes at her apartment?

He embarrassingly fidgeted with his fingers. "I'm sorry," he sighed silently, "I guess I'm intruding since I slept in your bedroom. I assume that you're annoyed since I claimed your bed, made you sleep on your couch, and didn't give you enough time to heal from the accident."

"I am ticked off _slightly_," she stated, "But I had fun hanging out with you. I know it's supposed to be awkward when a student tries to talk normally about their life to their mentor, but for me, it was normal. You're almost like a friend, in this case, and I don't really see it as a negative thing."

The silver-haired man stiffened to her response. She considered him as a _friend_. It was very odd to him because she was practically the only student in the whole academy to claim her teachers as buddies. She was a unique being indeed. The fact that she was different from all the others amazed him, but the thing about her that intrigued him most was the dark side of her.

Just then, the image of her picture she drew popped into his mind. He could recall to having to see the girl crying, her clenched fists wiping her sorrowful tears away, and the man behind her trying to comfort her, his hands gripping onto her shoulders. From what it seemed, he was the male and she was the female. Still, it didn't make sense. He knew that she trusted him the most out of all the people she met, and she even told him that herself, but why make it look like it means more than that? It bothered him a lot…

Although she was very hard to understand, he's attracted to her. There is something that just draws him close to her. Maybe her personality or maybe her looks. Perhaps both. But whatever it is, it's pulling him to her, and honestly, he didn't want to battle that pull. In fact, he actually liked it. Now this was an emotion that he has never felt in a long time.

"Mr. Hata—" He averted his attention to her to find her struggling to call out his name. "I mean—Kakashi. Don't you have work to complete at the academy? You can't leave your students hanging, you know."

Kakashi lifted his shoulders and bluntly said, "I could just call in sick and have Old Man Sarutobi assign a substitute in place of me. Besides, I'm absolutely sure I'm already late." He chuckled foolishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I could just take care of you meanwhile so that I have something to do while I'm off."

Her eyebrow skyrocketed. "You'd rather babysit me than teach your classes? Are you sure? I feel like I'm getting in the way of your tasks, Kakashi. Maybe you should go to school to get your job over with. I can stay here in the complex and take medicine ever now and then."

He ruffled her pink disheveled hair with a grin. He laughed, "No worries, Sakura. You're not making me miserable or unhappy. And yes, I'd love to 'babysit' you rather than explain new lessons to my classes. You're also one of my three favored students!"

"You have favorite students?" she gawked. "Wow, that's shocking."

He stared at her blandly. "I try not to show it, kid."

Sakura bit back a giggle and said, "Well who are they?"

Her teacher hung his head slightly and chuckled inwardly. "Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and you, Sakura. You three are all fun students to teach. Naruto is stupid sometimes and can be a total jerk or pervert, but his humor amuses me. Sasuke is really patient and intelligent. He's also a great runner who inspires others." He paused for a short moment to gather his lost words. "And as for you, Sakura, you're my _most_ favored student. You're unlike any other person I have ever met. You have an excellent personality and I'm sure that you have a bright future ahead of you. You are very talented in art and you're athletic as well. Now you, Sakura, are a unique being and I'll have you know that I'm very glad to know you." He placed his hand on her shoulder to assure her that he was telling the truth, but he had lingered on her longer than he intended to. She didn't appear to be bothered by it, so without thinking, he rubbed circular motions on her skin with his thumb. She shuddered and he realized that he was going too far, so he decided that he would change the subject to fill in the awkward silence. "Hey, is it alright if you show me some of your drawings? I could call in after that, if that's the reason why you're staring at me incredulously."

The young teenager managed to hide her reddening cheeks and nodded slowly, excited to see his reaction when he sees the rest of her pictures. But she also has to get rid her personal sketch she drew in History class. If he encounters that, he would most definitely bring her into one of those serious predicaments. Therefore, she made the decision that she would burn the picture when she retrieves it.

Sakura ushered for him to stay at the bed and shuffled toward her desk to scavenge for her sketch book. When she did find it, she searched for the picture but it was nowhere to be found. Panicking tremendously, she scanned through each page, her heart skipping beats as she did so. _No,_ she thought angrily, _it's not here! It must have slipped out and someone probably stole it! Damn it!_ Furiously, she closed the cover and secretly curled her hands into a ball. It was gone, and now it's out there in the open for all to see.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" His masculine voice shook her away from thought and she spun around to look at him with a forced smile. "Eh, do you mind answering my question?"

"Of course I'm fine," she lied flatly, "I just thought I lost one of my prized sketches." She laughed unconvincingly and narrowed her eyes at him to find him stiffening. She dismissed his unusual action and continued, "But I found it right in between the pages. Heh, I'm not that much of a responsible person."

Kakashi shook his head and replied, "You are responsible. You're just forgetful, like me."

The girl laughed softly at his remark and handed him the notebook. Silently and intently, she watched him flip through her drawings. His mismatched eyes were faintly glowing in awe as he looked at a couple of her finest art, and when he had gotten to the very last page, his pale white face brightened into a somewhat peachy color. What he was looking at was a picture of her as a little girl sitting beneath the canopy of a large and beautiful cherry blossom tree. The details were spectacular and it was well-colored. She explained that she drew it when she had first arrived here in Konoha. It is supposed to resemble hope, joy, love, and happiness. He appeared to be fond of this picture, so she offered it as a gift toward him. For a while, he refused but had finally given in ten minutes later.

The silver-haired man neatly folded it and carefully stuffed it in his pocket, making sure that it wouldn't rip as he did so. Eventually, the two began talking again about everyday normal stuff such as 'So how are you doing?' and 'Are you getting good grades?' But wasn't hard to notice Sakura's constant wincing. Every time she took a breath, she would clench onto her stomach or grip tightly onto the bed sheets. It bothered him that she was going through pain while she tried conversing with him.

Worriedly, he asked, "Sakura, are you okay?"

"Kakashi, I'm fine. What makes you think that I am not?"

"Well for one thing, you're holding onto your stomach. You're also biting your bottom lip."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"No, you aren't." He leaned closer to her and pulled her hands away from her abdomen. Suddenly, he hooked his fingers onto the fabric of her tank top and prepared to pull it up so he can see how bad the injury was, but she immediately shoved him away. Sternly, he demanded, "Let me see the bruise or whatever you're hiding underneath that. I need to see how bad it is so I can determine which medication you should take."

Sakura furiously shook her head and held her arms close to her chest. "Nu-uh! I am not letting you strip me clean of my clothes!"

He rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'm not trying to rape you, Sakura, nor am I trying to touch you in any sexual way. Just let me see the _damn _bruise on your stomach, then everything will all be over, okay?" He seized his anger to find her a little frightened, her cheeks tinted red from his sudden ambush. "Listen, I'm sorry for snapping at you like that, but I'm worried about you, alright? I don't want to see you wincing every time I try to talk normally to you, so I beg of you to please let me see your injury. I won't do anything rash, I swear."

Her emerald eyes dragged across the floor and she bobbed her head. "Okay."

"Lie down," he commanded softly.

"Lie do—"

"Lie down," he repeated firmly.

She followed his instructions hesitatingly and lay down on the bed. With the given chance, he lifted her tank top and rolled it up to her breasts—he was careful with handling her top so that he doesn't touch her in that certain area. Kakashi eventually spotted the large bruise which was not too far from her bellybutton. It was a darker shade of purplish red and it was circular. It looked really painful and just staring at it made his eyes cringe in disgust.

Silently, he told her that he would apply some pain ointment onto the bruise. He mentioned that it is supposed to create a burning sensation on her skin that numbs the area, preventing her from feeling the stinging pain. Grabbing the ointment, he squeezed the medicine onto the tip of his index finger and gently smoothed it out on her delicate skin. He could feel her body vibrating and the intensifying heat radiating off of her. It wasn't hard to see that she was nervous.

"Kakashi," she breathed, "It hurts."

"Shh," he whispered as he placed a clean bandage over it, immediately pulling the fabric down to cover her abdomen, "It's okay. I just finished, so you should be better in the next couple of hours. For now, just sit, don't move, and rest. Maybe watch TV or something."

She crossed her arms and put on a smug smirk. "It's in the living room."

He glared at her and bluntly said, "So walk to there and flip the TV on."

Her eyes fluttered like butterflies and she put on an innocent pout. "But _Kakashi_," she whined childishly, "You specifically said _don't _move. Besides, my tummy hurts like hell!" Unconvincingly, she rubbed her stomach with her hand in circular motions.

Kakashi sighed, "Then what do you expect me to do, you big baby?"

Sakura smiled and held her arms out in front of her, her fingers flexing inward and outward repeatedly. Her eyes gleamed brightly, her cheeks slowly grew red, and she tilted her head to the side to top it all off. "Carry me there," she giggled softly.

Groaning arrogantly, he slipped his hands beneath her back and cradled her close to his chest. As he brought her to the living room with ease, he stared at her longingly. A grin was tugging at his lips and he couldn't help but to show it completely. It's hard to admit, but she's _really _beautiful.

When the two reached the couch, he gently settled her on it and placed a pillow underneath her head to support her neck. He turned the TV on and handed her the remote so that she can change the channel if she wishes to.

"Happy, Sakura?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Ha—I mean—Kakashi. Damn it! I'm still used to addressing you formally!"

"Now now, don't get all riled up. You almost got it."

"Wait. Don't you have something important to do?"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." He winked at her playfully as he pulled out his phone. "Thank you for reminding me, Sakura."

**. . .**

Asuma Sarutobi growled silently to himself as he poked his head into a classroom. The man paced back and forth in the hallway, wondering just what to do with these unoccupied students. Their teacher was nowhere to be seen, perhaps late due to something important, and the students were just lounging around, wasting perfect educational time!

His cell phone suddenly began to ring and vibrate. He flipped it open and answered the call with a distraught voice, "You have reached Asuma Sarutobi. What the hell do you want?"

The dark blue-haired man heard a slight cough. _"Eh, it's me. Kakashi Hatake."_

"Kakashi!" he snarled. "Where are you? Your students aren't doing anything!"

_"Hey hey, don't get angry at me."_

"Why can't I? You might get fired if you don't get your ass over here!"

_"I would love to get my ass over there, Asuma, but unfortunately, I'm not feeling too well."_

"What? You're sick?" gawked Asuma. "You're _never _sick."

_"Well I am now."_

He scratched his head confusingly and murmured, "You sure don't sound like it."

All of a sudden, he heard a feminine-like voice echoing in the background, _"You're not very convincing, Kakashi."_

Asuma immediately recognized the voice and he felt something odd bubble up in the bottom of his stomach. Curiously, he asked Kakashi, "Is Sakura Haruno with you?"

Silence consumed the conversation for a few seconds.

_"What are you talking about?"_

"You heard me! Is that Sa—"

_"God, you never lay off. Okay, here's the deal. I'm sort of babysitting the kid, alright? She was in severe pain and I had to help her. Just please find a substitute in place for me. Only for today, I promise."_

"Promise my ass," sighed Asuma.

_"So is that a yes?"_

"Yeah, alright. I'll get a substitute! But you better not hurt the girl!"

_"I never said I was gonna kill her, did I?"_

He hung up on Kakashi and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Leaning disgracefully against the doorway to observe the classroom, he quietly whispered to himself, "Who knew Hatake had a soft side for his students?"

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><p>TBC<p>

Reviews Are Appreciated


	7. Shame

A/N: Sorry for the long update. I'm in leadership and I've been helping out in school almost every single day since last week. Like I told you from before, I'm getting very busy so don't expect these updates to come so quickly. And I apologize for making you guys wait for so long.

Oh yeah, I finally made a deviantART account so if you'd click the link on my profile, I'd really appreciate it! I also posted some art, but they're not my best because I drew them on my laptop - I'm not quite used to that since I usually sketch but I'm getting there! I also posted some of my fanfics on there too.

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does

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><p>Shikamaru kicked a pebble as he strode along the sidewalk, Tenten chatting on the phone beside him. He groaned inwardly as his brown-headed friend squealed in delight. He hated how women had the habits of giggling and blushing when they talked about their crushes. It disgusted him, almost too much that it made him want to puke. The way they cringed their eyes in joy and the way they frowned in envy irritated him. He absolutely despised girlish acts.<p>

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Tenten tapped him on the shoulder to catch his attention. He glared at her bitterly and she nearly flinched, but she continued without hesitation. "Isn't that Sakura's apartment complex right over there? The window on the second floor?" she asked curiously as she pointed.

He nodded with practiced nonchalance and averted his gaze to the open window. He stared at it longingly, wondering if his pink-haired friend was okay. She was absent the other day and it was very silent without her. The odd thing was that Kakashi wasn't present either. No one else found the situation interesting but him. In fact, he was the only one who knew how close she and him were. The two of them were like close friends, and they only knew each other for almost a week. It was extremely unusual to see a student-teacher relationship grow so strong within a few days, but they both hung around each other so much that it almost made sense…

Suddenly, something silver caught the corner of his eye. He squinted and tried to clear his blurring vision. After a few moments of confusion, he realized that it was none other than Kakashi Hatake, his English teacher.

Shikamaru's jaw nearly dropped. His teacher was in his friend's apartment. And he was _shirtless._

"…What the fuck?"

Tenten's eyes darted to meet his open mouth. "Shikamaru? Did you say something?" she questioned callously.

He shook his head. "No, it must have been the wind," he lied flatly, "Come on, let's get a move on." He nudged her forward and they continued their walk to the academy. Before taking a turn on the curb, he managed to snatch one last look of the window, only to see Kakashi and Sakura hugging.

And in his mind, he mentally cursed in absolute shock. _'What the fuck happened?'_

**. . .**

Sakura's fingers hooked onto the hem of her shirt and she slowly pulled it off. She tossed it aside and grabbed the roll of binds. Carefully, she pulled the binds and constricted it against her abdomen. When she finished, she set the remnants aside and slipped into a plain white tee.

Sighing heavily, she flopped onto her bed with her arms and legs spread apart. She listened intently to the sound of the shower running, a string of dirty thoughts leaking into her brain. She wondered how fit he looked—chiseled abs, muscular body, and perhaps an eight-pack?

No…she mustn't think about him like this. It seemed wrong. Terribly wrong.

"Hey…um…Sakura?"

She lifted her head and her jade eyes immediately widened. Kakashi was standing in the bathroom doorway, just wearing the same pair of jeans he wore the other day. His silver hair was still wet from his shower and was drooping over his forehead, his body was moist and dripping, and like she thought, he was amazingly muscular. His chest was well toned and his arms were built to carry heavy and large objects. He was cute, hot, handsome…well she could go on and on with a list of words that describe his current appearance.

She let her eyes slide closed and murmured, "Do you need something, Kakashi?"

"Yes, I do." He took a step closer and a strong pinewood scent filled her nostrils. She glanced at his face momentarily before averting her attention elsewhere. He continued, "Do you happen to have another shirt that I can use? You know, something that suits me." He chuckled softly. "And I don't mean your clothes."

She laughed. "I think I have a couple of shirts my father left in one of my boxes in the pantry. I'll go check." She hopped onto her feet and smoothed out her bed sheets. "While you wait, you can sit on my bed or take a quick look around my room. I honestly don't mind."

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Since you gave me permission, I'll be honored to observe your bedroom."

"Yeah, okay," she said with a smile, "Just don't look through my closet and drawers. But I'm sure that won't be a problem, unless you really are one of those perverted men." She stifled a giggle as she left him alone, a smirk spreading across her face.

His forehead met the palm of his hand as he frowned in embarrassment. That kid was nice and unusually outgoing, but he never thought that she would assume that he was one of those perverted, dirty men. How embarrassing…

He released a harsh breath and leaned against the window panel. Frowning slightly, he observed his student's bedroom. Surprisingly, it wasn't similar to one of those 'super girly' rooms. In fact, it was nearly the opposite of that. The walls were painted white and neatly polished, her drawers and closets were a shade of dark cocoa brown, and the beige flooring was spotless. Rather than having boy band posters displayed everywhere, she had her own artwork and special photos on display. It was quite an odd sight, but it did please him to see that one of his students were mature.

Smiling, he let his head fall back against the glass and closed his eyes. Sakura was the only student who worked diligently, acted nicely, stuck up for others, and the only person to ever care about him. She was different than the others. Different in a good way. And he loved that difference.

Her beautiful smile, her bright red cheeks, her soft pink hair, her glistening jade eyes…her features made his spine tingle and his heart skip beats. The way she tried to bite back a giggle was extremely cute, and how she joked around reminded him of Naruto's stupid acts—it wasn't something that he despised. Oh yes, he especially enjoyed looking at her soft…glossy…lips…

_No._ What the hell was he thinking? He can't think of a student like that!

"Mm, Kakashi?"

Those words didn't register in his mind as a call. It registered as a statement. More like a pleased moan.

His eyelids slid open. "Eh, yes Sakura?"

"I found a black button-up and a dark blue undershirt. Is that alright?" she questioned shyly as she took a step closer.

"Yeah, it would do." He forced a grin. "Now if you would hand it over…"

Her face slightly grew red. "Oh, right."

Calmly, he watched her as she anxiously approached him, the prepared clothes hanging off her left arm. But when she was a feet away from him, she suddenly tripped over her backpack. Feeling an overwhelming urge, he caught her by the waist and pulled her close to prevent a hard fall. Her cheek immediately slammed against his chest, her warmth greeting his chilling skin.

He felt his heart stop as her hands rode up his stomach, her fingers curling inward. He shuddered as an odd feeling bubbled up at the bottom of his gut—not exactly bubbles, more like butterflies. Eventually, their breathing synchronized and an awkward silence filled the atmosphere. He didn't know what to do, and he was pretty sure that she didn't either.

He finally managed to gather his wits and gulped, "Are you okay, Sakura? You almost…hurt yourself."

She looked up and bit her lip. "I'm fine, just a little clumsy. That's all."

"Well everyone's a little clumsy every now and then," he joked nervously, his hand shakily rising to his head.

Her eyes widened in realization and she stumbled backward, her head hanging. Her hands shot out in front of her, presenting the very clothes she had mentioned before the little incident. For a moment, he was unsure of what to do, but he decided that he would take this predicament maturely and think about it later. The thoughts of her being pressed up against him would get in the way of his teaching at the academy…

"I'm terribly sorry!" she squealed abruptly. "I didn't mean to invade your personal space and touch you—"

"Hey hey," interrupted Kakashi, "It's no big deal, kiddo. I was the one who decided to save your from your fall, so don't apologize for something that isn't your fault." He reassuringly patted her on the head and gladly accepted the clothing.

She watched intently as he slipped on the blue tee, then the black button-up. He smoothed the wrinkles out and buttoned his shirt up to a reasonable level. Afterward, he rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and folded the ends. She must admit, he looked gorgeous.

"Um, is it a flat look? I suppose I'm not like one of you 'hip' teenagers, eh?" he chuckled embarrassingly.

"No," she disagreed quietly, "it suits you well. In fact, it's perfect."

He almost blushed at her remark. "Thanks, I guess," he murmured, "So shall we hit the road to the academy?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

**. . .**

Shikamaru leaned against his locker and sighed heavily. It was almost eight twenty and Sakura was still not here. Usually, she would arrive at school around eight ten to have a quick study session at the library with Hinata, but the Hyuga told him that she canceled the event. How odd, how…unusual.

"Ne, Shikamaru. Sakura-chan is here!" The yellow-haired boy beside him nudged him. "Finally! She's here!"

"Don't get all excited, Naruto." Sasuke strode up to the both of them with practiced nonchalance. "She's got company."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes to the left to find Kakashi escorting Sakura to her locker, which was only about ten lockers down from his. He watched in interest as the teacher gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and she smiled slightly—it wasn't her happiest grin. The silver-haired man eventually walked away, his mismatched eyes glowing brightly.

He frowned in disgust and turned to face Naruto and Sasuke again. It's not that he found their growing friendship horrible, but the fact that they were showing signs that indicated that they were enjoying each other's company bothered him. Yes, he enjoyed the girl's company, but not in the way that Kakashi was. Kakashi was fond of her, and not just as a student, but as a friend. And the man's interest was growing quickly.

The only problem was that he, Shikamaru Nara, was the only one who saw their relationship. In fact, not even those two knew how close they were.

"Hey, Shikamaru. Hi Naruto, hi Sasuke." Sakura greeted the three boys as she approached them, a stack of books cradled in her arms. "It's nice seeing you guys again after such a boring day of pain," she breathed silently.

She was lying. She probably didn't have a boring day if that old bastard was lounging around in her complex.

"So how's your little injury?" questioned Sasuke. "Has it gotten worse or is it lightening up a bit?"

She sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "It's not _that_ bad, but yeah, it's better."

"Cool! So does that mean you can do PE with us? We had to take your place in the track events yesterday since you were absent. We didn't mind at all, but I was the one who had to run twice," exclaimed Naruto, his baby blue eyes widening in curiosity.

"Unfortunately, I can't," she muttered disappointingly, "I have to lay off for a week."

Naruto's smile flipped upside down. "Oh, that sucks. That means you might have to be Kakashi's puny assistant."

The pink-haired girl shrugged and bluntly stated, "I don't really have a problem with that."

Silence momentarily consumed the conversation. The group of teenagers merely exchanged awkward glances.

"Uh, I think class is going to start in seven minutes. I'm gonna get a move on," announced the Uchiha.

"Me too," agreed the Uzumaki, "Come on Shikamaru and Sakura. We can't be tardy!"

Naruto turned on his heel and took a turn to the left where their English class was located. Sakura, deciding that she would go too, prepared to run after her fox-like friend. But before she could even take a step, Shikamaru grabbed her by the wrist and literally yanked her back, causing her to nearly fall on her bottom. She incredulously glared at him afterward, but he didn't bother to apologize.

"Okay, what's your problem?" she growled. "Are you trying to get me late or are you trying to kill me?"

"Neither," he replied, "Listen Sakura. We need to talk."

Her hardened gaze softened. "About what, exactly? And make it quick. You know how I hate being late."

He sighed heavily and leaned against his locker, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "I happened to be passing by your apartment complex with Tenten. She was busy calling her friends on the phone, as usual, and she happened to be the first to notice that you lived there. Of course, she averted her attention back to her cell phone and didn't bother to look up—"

"Your point?" she interrupted rudely.

He rolled his eyes and refused to answer her inquiry. "As I was saying, she didn't bother to take another glance at your complex window, but I did. And what I found shocking was Kakashi standing by the window, shirtless and moist," he explained briefly, his spectacles growing darker by the minute.

She suddenly stiffened. She was completely frozen, almost like a statue.

"Then when I took another look, I found you and him hugging affectionately." He almost barked at her. He was angry indeed, because he didn't want an old perverted hag touching his close friend. Yes, Kakashi was an extremely nice guy but he's ages apart from Sakura. Their act could be considered rape if any adult saw that scene.

"I-I…It's all a misunderstanding," she commented frantically, "You got it all wrong, Shikamaru! I swear, we would never do such a thi—"

"Then explain, Sakura-chan," he said sternly, "I'm worried the hell about you since I caught you munching on him like dessert! Explain the real reason, Sakura, or else I'm never going to trust that bastard again."

"He isn't a bastard, Shikamaru!" she argued. "I just tripped and he freaking saved me from my fall, alright? He took a shower before the incident occurred, so that was why he was 'moist'. I was lending him some of my father's old clothing and I tripped over my stupid backpack. Does that explanation prove you wrong, Nara?"

He saw the sudden flare of defense burst behind her emerald eyes. She really, really cared about Kakashi enough to defend and protect him. She absolutely wanted to keep him safe from harm, and he could see the proof burning deep in her heart.

Shikamaru hung his head slightly and murmured, "I'm sorry, Sakura. I was so worried…so shocked."

"I understand why you would freak out, Shika. But just please, please don't tell anyone about that," she begged.

He stared at her with a paling face. "It's gonna be hard, but I'll try not to."

"Promise?"

He gulped loudly, "Yeah, I promise."

**. . .**

He would try not to think about her, he would try not to fantasize at her, but no matter what he did, it just made the situation worse. Her beautiful image, her wonderful personality, and her unique smile all distracted him. She was becoming a problem.

Kakashi grunted into his cupped hand as he brought it to his face. Uninterested of the scene of his class working diligently, he stared daggers at a wrinkled and slightly torn picture that was hidden carefully beneath his documents. Only a small portion was visible, for only him to see.

He couldn't believe that he still had Sakura's drawing. He couldn't believe that he still hadn't returned it to her. He knew it was wrong to steal it, although it wasn't really intentional. It just happened to slip out of her notebook and landed on his feet for him to look at. It wasn't his fault that he was in this mess…right?

Okay. Calm down. Deep breaths.

He let his eyelids slide closed and thought deeply. Perhaps she has been fretting for the past week, wondering where the picture was? He never really paused to put himself in her shoes. He never really knew what she would do if she lost an important and personal item. In fact, now that he thinks about it, he doesn't know much about her.

Yes, he was informed that her parents were almost never home and that she was usually on her own. Yes, he conversed with her about her dark past and wrong decisions. But she has to hold something other than pain and despair.

"Yo, Mr. Hatake."

An irritating voice pierced his mind. It hurt.

"Hatake! Hey!"

Was his ears playing tricks on him? Or was it reality? He couldn't tell…

"Kakashi! Are you paying attention at all?"

His eyes snapped open and he glared intently at his fourth period class. Everyone was seated, all but Kiba Inuzuka, a boy similar to Naruto Uzumaki. He was baring his canine teeth, his knuckles were clenched, and his eyes were darkening.

"Tch, he's been zoning out all day," muttered Neji, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah gramps! What's the deal?" inquired Kiba, his frown widening.

Kakashi blinked twice before answering bitterly, "None of your fucking business."

Silence momentarily consumed the conversation before Neji said, "If there's a problem, we'd be glad to help out."

"Like I said," repeated the teacher, "none of your fucking business. Now pack up. The bell is going to ring soon."

His students murmured silently to themselves as they followed his instructions, their heads hanging low and their eyes flickering at him. Their glares…their stares…their murmuring—they all reminded him of his childhood.

And once again, his shame was rising above his shadow.

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><p>AN: Again, sorry about the super duper long wait.

Hope you liked this chapter!

Reviews are Appreciated


	8. His Dark Past

A/N: Hey everybody. Sorry for the rather long wait, but 8th grade's been taking over my life. There is almost no time for me to go on the laptop and update my stories. Ah, but's that's part of growing up, huh.

Anyways, I've been in a pissy mood for the past few weeks and the things that happened in school today just made it worse. I'm trying to manage my temper but I always find myself taking it out on an inanimate object. Sometimes I would even cuss. Today, school started out so well until 6th period. Basically, my teacher has this system for the class where there are squads and squad leaders. At the moment, I'm a squad leader and none of my members are cooperating. They are all telling me to shut up, they aren't following instructions, and worse, their actions make me look like a bad leader.

~sigh~ You probably didn't need to know that but whatever.

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p>Sakura couldn't help but notice how much gloomier he has gotten since this morning.<p>

His face seemed paler than usual, and his onyx and crimson scarred eye were full of…nothing. Whenever she would pass by him, sometimes brush up against him, an eerie aura would lurk around her and send chills running throughout her body. It was almost as if his heart was completely empty and barren.

Like before, she would have gone up to him and try to comfort him in any way possible, but today he was different. Instead of a humanly being, he was a cold ghost of the night. It scared her, almost frightened her to the point where she wanted to flee. She disliked the depressing coldness he was radiating, but what could she do? She can't just flip that frown upside down and make everything better again. He wasn't a toy.

Sighing, she pressed her hand against her forehead and allowed her eyelids to side closed. She was frustrated, really. First of all, she has her pains and injury to deal with. Secondly, she has to catch up with missed homework and class notes. And lastly, she has to put up with Kakashi for the rest of the week as his personal assistant.

The bell suddenly rang and she heard the relieved sighs of her classmates echo in the gym. Knowing that she has nothing more to do, she rose to her feet, slung her backpack over one shoulder and started off toward the exit. But before she could even leave, a hand gripped onto her arm and kept her in one place. Looks like she won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

"Sakura." His grip tightened, or at least she thought it did. "Can I talk to you for a second? You're not in trouble."

She blankly stared at him, then glanced at her departing friends. Knowing that it might be a while, she dropped her bag and reoccupied her chair. "Sure. What about?"

He sat in front of her and thought for a long time before asking, "Do you ever feel…depressed?"

"I felt it all the time…" She released a small breath and forced a smile. "…until you came around."

Kakashi didn't reply immediately. First he was still, almost as frozen as a statue. His eyes darkened and grew even gloomier, and she swore that she saw his lips twitch. Then the words came, "Do you really think I'm that much of a help?"

"Yes, actually…" She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, wondering if he was pleased with her comment. Probably not.

Her eyes rose to meet his charcoal-colored ones and she shuddered when he gave her that 'shut up or I'll kill you' look. Her gaze immediately fell back to her feet and she kept it there, afraid that he would give her yet another skeptical glare.

"I see." He paused momentarily before staring at the ceiling. He stared long and hard and finally when the time came, he stood up and said, "I have so many things I want to confess to you, Sakura. About my past. Right now you're probably wondering why in the hell would I want to talk to you so deeply about something, but I know that you are the only person who understands true pain."

The pink-haired student sank further back into her seat as she felt her heart plunge into the depths of darkness. She tried thinking back to those horrible and tragic moments. She did understand torturous pain, didn't she?

His shadow loomed over her and she glared at him. He was even closer than before. "Remember when you said that we would help each other?" he asked hoarsely.

She croaked, "Yes. I do."

"I kept my part of the deal." He slowly backed away from her and eventually turned away. "Now you must keep yours."

She nodded fearfully. She felt as if he was watching her shiver in fear. Perhaps he had eyes behind his head.

"You still remember where I live, am I correct? I recall you having to visit once before…"

"I remember, Kakashi."

"Great." He looked over his shoulder for a second before departing. "Meet me there before six, and bring your homework if you must. It might be a long…interesting conversation."

Her brain was telling her that she shouldn't go. But her heart was telling her that she should.

**. . .**

Sakura walked down the sidewalk, her handbag dangling down her side and a single subject notebook being squeezed in her hands. The sun was sluggishly setting over the horizon and every minute that passed, the light dimmed even further. The evening was peaceful and soothed her greatly. With the birds singing and the crickets chirping, she felt like she could fly up into the sky.

The sudden roar of a motorcycle's engine rang in her ears, directing her eyes toward the road beside her. She watched as an unknown man wearing a helmet rode along the walkway and parked. She grew uneasy as he stepped of his vehicle. She had a feeling he wanted to talk to her.

She was dead frozen as he made his way in front of her. But once he removed the helmet that hid his identity, she sighed in relief and was once again free of tension.

"Sakura?" Genma almost laughed as he stuffed his keys into his pocket. "It is you!"

"Um…hello Genma," she greeted bluntly, a fake chuckle following afterward.

The chestnut-haired teacher laughed halfheartedly and asked, "So do you live around here? Now that I think about it, I've never seen you walk down this path, Pinky." His eyes cringed, an outward sign of his grin, and scratched the back of his neck. "It's a little odd. It almost seems like you're walking to Kakashi's house."

Hanging her head slightly, she replied, "I am going to his house…"

His smile flattened and he eventually ended up frowning. She could tell that he had many questions in mind just from the look of his expression. His face was dead pale and his eyes were as dull as the shadows.

"So…what? You received detention that takes place at his house? Or were you dared to cover his home in toilet paper like the last pair of dumb ass teenagers did?" She couldn't tell if he was trying to joke around or not. He sounded too serious to be joking.

"I…" The girl paused momentarily to gather her thoughts. "We both promised each other something. He kept his end of the promise, so now I have to keep mine. A promise is a promise and breaking one is just unforgivable." She wouldn't say that they promised something to each other, but her explanation suited the situation well.

He stared at her for a long time without blinking. He was confused. She could tell. "A promise…heh…how ironic." He shoved his hands into his pockets and gazed at the clouds. "You know, he hasn't talked to me or any other of his buddies for a long time…Every once in a while, we would say hi or even exchange a few jokes but he never brought up a topic about his past," he explained with a mellow tone, "You're the first in three years that he emotionally talks to, Sakura."

She blinked a few times, shocked from the information he was giving her. "I…uh…" She couldn't find the right words.

"No need to say anything, kid." He patted her on the head softly and pulled his helmet over his head. With a muffled voice, he said, "If you're going to chat about his past, I suggest that you try to comfort him often during his little speech. And try to be as kind as possible." He hopped onto his motorcycle and started the engine. "A couple years back, I tried forcing him to move on and things got ugly. So please, please be gentle. I don't want to see you in the hospital tomorrow."

"I…eh…" She bit her lip, afraid of thinking about some possible negative outcomes of their conversation. "Genma, I-"

"Don't worry, Sakura!" he laughed. "I don't think there would be any problems while you guys talk. You're his favorite student and he really seems to like you a lot." He waved goodbye and took off, his dark brown hair blowing back in the wind.

A minute later, she was walking up Kakashi's front porch steps, her legs shaking violently in anxiety. She was nervous. The intimidating looks he gave her during PE nearly scared the wits out of her and she did not want to put up with that again! And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, Genma told her about Kakashi's hidden, violent emotions.

No, she wasn't nervous anymore. She was scared.

Reluctantly, she knocked on the door and waited impatiently for him to answer.

Finally, the entrance swung open, revealing a tall and lean silver-haired man. He was in his home clothes. He was wearing a thin black shirt that clung around his sides, complimenting his hard-rock abs. His white basketball shorts fell just below his knees and she noticed that he was sagging a bit. He was barefoot and didn't look too clean. His hair was disheveled and hung in front of his forehead, and his skin looked ghostlier. But something about his odd appearance was extremely alluring.

"Hm…" He scratched his chin as his eyes roved all over her body, particular around her flushed cheeks. "I thought that you wouldn't really visit. You seemed afraid back in PE, even now. I wonder what convinced you to come," he drawled.

"Well, let's just say that something motivated me," she murmured silently.

He stepped to the side and gestured toward her. "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. I'll prepare some refreshments for us and then we'll talk. Sounds good?"

She nodded slowly as she entered his house. She took one quick look of his living room while he slugged of into the kitchen. It was surprisingly tidy and clean but had a slight scent of smoke. She thought men like him would be total slops but then again, she did judge people a lot these days. He even had a small arrangement of books on his shelf, and they were _educational._

Perhaps he had some porn stashed somewhere. Not every man is perfectly sophisticated.

"Hey," she heard him call from the kitchen, "why don't you settle down over here?" A loud clink and clang suddenly echoed in the living room. She guessed that he truly was fixing her up a drink.

"Alright," she responded, scurrying off in his direction.

Sakura poked her head through the open door and glanced to the left to find Kakashi holding two glasses, one filled with water and the other with tequila. He looked at her once more and smiled softly, his smile inviting her to sit down at the dining table. She accepted his invitation and seated herself calmly, settling her handbag on the floor below her.

He eventually sat beside her, a fair distance in between them, and handed her the water. He watched her as she sipped it delicately, the clear liquid lapping over her lip. It was few more seconds before he started gulping down his own refreshment, the strong bitter taste burning in his throat.

He knew that he shouldn't be drowning his sorrows out through alcohol in front of his own student, but he doubt that she gave a shit. She should be able to understand why. She understands him well enough to know why he would be so cranky.

He placed his glass on the tabletop then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He eyed her as she mimicked his actions, like a confused child who has yet to learn more. He stared at her, trying to figure out how broken she really was. He already knew that she had a lonely, miserable past which is suprisingly similar to his, but what else is there about her? What other things did she have in common with him? Had she lost so many loved ones that she ended up trying to take it all out on herself like how he had? Had she once wanted to get rid of her own life to escape her misery?

He felt his shame engulf his heart again, drowning it in the process.

"Kakashi…"

His mismatched eyes rose to meet her emerald ones. "I apologize for discomforting you."

Kakashi gazed at the ceiling, "It's extremely hard for me to talk openly to people because I never learned how to. I was always closed up in my own little shell, and I grew up with a huge barrier placed around me. What I find surprising, though, is that you were good enough to make that wall tumble." He took one look of her and smiled weakly, "I find it hard to believe that I've become so attached to a student. You know what…you aren't like a student to me _at all_, you're more of a _friend._"

She was listening tentatively and didn't bother to make a comment. He continued, "I guess I'm going to pour my heart out to you now. Well—I'll pour a quarter of my heart out since I haven't done this for a while."

"You're not going to have any problems with this? At all?" Sakura interrupted quietly.

"Perhaps a little." He shrugged with practiced nonchalance, "To start this off, I think your childhood is similar to mine in some ways. When I was very young, a few years after I was born, my mother died. I can't say that I remember why."

Sakura nodded in understanding. She felt the excruciating pain before when you lose somebody. A deadly disease swept over her village when she was a child and killed everyone. Luckily her parents were away at the time and weren't ill. Losing a parent is way worse than the scenario she experienced, so the pain he felt must have been terrible.

"Then around the age of seven, my father committed suicide because no one respected his values. Not even I respected him. He was a part of the police association but didn't follow the rules. He thought none of them were of importance and created his own. After his death, I was devastated and vowed to take on his challenges. Every day, even now, I visit the Memorial Gardens downtown and mourn over him and the many others I lost." He scratched the back of his head and sighed, "My two closest friends were included in the other group, Rin and Obito. When I was a senior in highschool, Obito committed suicide because he was bullied almost everyday. Rin died trying to stick up for him. The bullying was so bad that some people brought guns. One kid, Pein, equipped himself with a gun and shot. The bullet was meant for Obito but Rin sacrificed herself. Obito took his own life away the next day, thinking it was all his fault."

Kakashi was crying at this point, streams of tears flowing down his cheeks. He was shaking violently, his hands clenched and eyes squeezed shut.

Sakura didn't know what to do at first. She eventually remembered Genma's advice and reluctantly rubbed his shoulder in hope of comforting him.

"I wanted to take my own life away too. I was so frustrated and hopeless, but I knew that somewhere out there, Obito and Rin were pleading for me to not. I managed to keep my misery locked in a cage for four more years before joining an elite police force, ANBU. It still exists today, and I still am a part of their association. They can pull me out of my little hole whenever they need the help, but that hasn't happened for three years," he explained.

"ANBU?" she wondered aloud. "But that is so dangerous."

"I know." He frowned and shook his head, "I can show you proof."

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a red tattoo. It was a little blurry toward the outside, but she can easily tell that the symbol symbolized his authority.

Kakashi let his sleeve fall back in place. "I thought joining ANBU would get rid of my problems, but it only made it worse. Almost every month, I saw an innocent person die right in front of me. Almost every week, I had to shoot down a wanted criminal, having fear of shooting him or her at the same time. And almost every year, I was wounded, nearly killed. I wished for my death, even now, because I'm not good enough to live in this world. I've been hiding my misery and pain for years and I managed to keep it a secret from every single friend of mine, but you. You just broke that damned wall I put up long ago. You broke that…_damned _wall."

"Kakashi." Her hand slipped on top of his and squeezed it reassuringly, "Don't think that you aren't good enough. Don't wish for your death. Everyone would miss you. Everyone would go nuts if you committed suicide. Do you not know how much you are loved?"

He shook his head in disagreement. "I am not loved, that is a lie."

"You are loved."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not," he stated firmly, his expression quickly growing bold.

Suddenly, her fingers fit in between his, twining their hands close together. A small, sad smile spread across her face, "Are too."

He sat there, taken aback from her words and actions. She sounded so confident, so…caring.

"You are loved," she repeated silently, "You have many friends out there that care, Kakashi, including your students."

Kakashi didn't respond but found himself growing fond of her. He was beginning to see that dim light of hope once again, and it was all because of her.

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><p>Reviews are Appreciated<p>

**Thank you for all of the favorites and nice reviews I've been receiving. It really lifts my spirits up.**


	9. A Happy Halloween: Part I

**A/N:**Well I am just so sorry for the long wait but I had a bunch of things to do! Study for tests, complete projects, finish up homework...I've been extremely busy these past few weeks! Anyways, I understand that some of you wish for me to update my other stories that I haven't updated in almost a year, but that is only because I'm having trouble coming up with ideas. I have some plans but I'm afraid that you won't like it. To me, it seems a little bland so I've been editing and rewriting a LOT.

So, um...enjoy this chapter!

It's a little Halloween special, although I did publish it a little late after the holiday -.- whoops

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does

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><p>It had been a month since the both of them talked to each other about their horrible past. Neither even remembered the sorrow that the both of them had shared because they both found hope. And the hope was found within each other. He and she relied on their growing friendship to keep them away from tripping back into the darkness. Nobody else knew about their close relationship. In fact, not even they knew how close they were.<p>

Every now and then, one of them would encounter a bitter memory but wouldn't linger on it for more than a day. Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno have grown strong, still clinging onto each other for that bright light of joy. The two of them have grown strong.

**_~X x . . . x X~_**

**_(A Happy Halloween: Part I)_**

"To pull you into my embrace. To hear you breathe, to see your face. To feel your heart beat softly with mine. To hold you tightly, leave reason behind. To draw you in, to taste your kiss. All heartbreak gone, nothing amiss. I'd lose myself inside your eyes. Stay in love forever, mesmerized…" Sakura bowed slightly, clenching her paper in one hand, then fleetingly returned to her seat.

Her classmates clapped as she strode back to her desk, Naruto clapping the loudest. She felt proud. She worked so hard on her poem and her hopes were high for a good grade. Perhaps she would achieve a grade of an A.

Kakashi walked past her desk, quickly patting her on the head. "Nicely done, Sakura. Your poem was quite touching and very interesting. I'd say it was the best out of the previous presentations," he commented cheerfully, his hands clasping together.

"Thank you, Kakashi." She exposed a small smile in thanks toward him.

Something flared wildly behind his mismatched eyes and he returned the grin. "Your _very_ welcome." He clicked his pen and tucked it back into his shirt's front pocket. "Now, lets see…Shikamaru, why don't you present your love poem?"

Shikamaru's head shot up, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. "Eh, sure."

Lazily, he dragged himself up to the front of the classroom and began, "A special world for you and me. A special bond one cannot see. It wraps us up in its cocoon, and holds us fiercely in its womb. Its fingers spread like fine spun gold, gently nestling us to the fold. Like silken thread it holds us fast, bonds like this are meant to last. And though at times a thread may break, a new one forms in its wake, to bind us closer and keep us strong. In a special world is where we belong."

To his surprise, not many clapped. Not even Kakashi. Oh well, as if he gave a shit about it.

Slowly and sluggishly, Shikamaru trudged back to his seat and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Wow," Kakashi finally remarked, "who knew you had a…soft, mushy and romantic side, Shikamaru. I never even thought that you would come up with something so deep. You pretty much shocked us all." Sheepishly, he ran his fingers through his silver, disheveled hair. "Amazing job, nevertheless."

Then came the appreciative comments.

"Heh, thanks…I guess," yawned the boy, sinking further back into his chair.

The bell rang, signaling that first period was over.

The silver-haired teacher glanced at the clock before shoving his hands into his pockets. "Class dismissed. Have a great day!"

Sakura packed everything into her handbag and silently made her way to the exit, Naruto and Shikamaru by her side.

"Shika! Maru! Hm, your name is catchy!" exclaimed Naruto as he probed at the black-haired student.

"Hands off," he grumbled, "you know I hate being poked."

"Now now, don't argue over something dumb," she giggled. "And Shikamaru, you should get over it. It's just a simple poke. It won't harm you or anything—"

A strong, rough hand settled on her shoulder and she looked back to see who it was. She suddenly found her face inches apart from Kakashi's. Her cheeks immediately reddened and she stepped back to even out the distance between her and him.

Kakashi blinked twice. "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright," she replied softly, "it was just unexpected."

"Unexpected to pull you back from leaving?"

"Yeah, because you haven't allowed me to stay after class for a month."

The bell rang. Second period just started.

"Okay, so what do you need, Kakashi?" asked Naruto, impatiently. "'Cause right now, we're late for class."

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "Drop your bags and then I'll explain."

The three students did as they were told and averted their attentions back to their teacher, whom was now lifting two seemingly-heavy boxes from beside his desk. He handed one to Naruto and one to Shikamaru, leaving nothing for Sakura to carry.

"Naruto and Shikamaru, I need you to deliver these boxes to the new principle, Tsunade. When you get there, she's probably going to have you help her arrange the items." He paused, then gazed at Sakura. "As for you, Sakura, you will be helping me bring out decorations for the Halloween party I'm throwing just for first period tomorrow."

"We're having a Halloween party?" they boasted.

"Yes yes," he laughed. "Now you three are the only ones who know about it, so keep it a secret, alright? Tsunade gave me permission to throw only one party for one of my classes, and I chose you guys because you're my favorite." He gave thumbs up with a cheery smile. "Feel free to bring food, candy or refreshments."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Naruto. "I can't wait! I know! I'm going to bring so much Kit Kat! Oh, and Snickers!"

"Hold on," interrupted Shikamaru. "Why is Sakura the only one to help you? Why can't me and Naruto help out too?"

"So then you'd rather have a young woman like her…" The silver-haired man lazily pointed at the pink-haired student. "…to lug two heavy boxes all the way down to the principles office, then have her put up with Tsunade's bitchy attitude?"

The black-haired boy hung his head and grumbled, "Fine. C'mon Naruto, let's head out and get the job done."

"Good choice," commented Kakashi as he smiled inwardly.

The two boys strode out of the classroom, murmuring quietly between themselves. Kakashi waited a few more moments before escorting Sakura to the supply closet where a bunch of boxes, small and large, lay.

"Wow, that's a lot of decorations and…things," she stated, pressing her index finger to her bottom lip.

He eyed her and replied, "Don't worry. It's not that much of a hassle. We're just going to place the boxes over there in that corner."

"Hm," she hummed rhythmically, "so shall we start?"

"Yes we shall."

He handed her one package and she carried it to the designated location. They both repeated this routine many times until there was one huge box left. He insisted that he would lift it, thinking that fragile arms like hers wouldn't complete the job. She allowed him to heave it up but watched in amusement as he struggled to bring it over. She smiled and offered her help, but he rejected it and resumed his hardship. Eventually, he started to shake and she had to assist him as he settled it on the floor.

"Um, thanks for the help." He smiled foolishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"You would have died trying to lug that. What is in there anyways? Dead bodies?" she joked.

"_Fake _dead bodies," he corrected.

She almost gaped. "I thought you were joking!"

"Well I'm not. Anyways, they're for decorating the classroom. Ever heard of Halloween spirit?"

"Not until now."

"Whatever," he chuckled silently, leaning back against his desk. "Hey, do you know what's coming up?"

"Halloween?" she guessed.

"That and Blossom Day."

She glared at him incredulously. "Is that some stupid holiday you made up?"

"No," he replied blandly. "The school made it up. Annually, all of the males in the academy receive a certain type of flower and they must hand it to another female. He can't hand a flower to a female that already received one, so it's pretty hard."

"All of the males, huh?" she wondered aloud. "Does that include teachers?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he sighed.

"That event sounds pretty stupid to me," she mumbled, "What's the point of it?"

"To appreciate women." He grinned and pointed at her. "Like you, Sakura."

Sakura bit her lip as she felt her face heat up. "What? I-I'm not a woman. I'm still young!"

"Wow, you're not as mature as you look, missy." He ruffled the top of her hair and cringed his eyes happily. "How about I consider you as a pretty, _young_ lady? Sounds good?" Kakashi continued with a rhythmic coo.

Her cheeks reddened into a deeper color of red and she tossed her head in the other direction. "I guess…"

"When you two are done flirting, can I jump into the conversation?"

The silver-haired teacher and pink-haired student spun around and spotted Asuma Sarutobi standing in the doorway, eyes gleaming with mischief. Asuma entered slowly, arms crossed and a slight smile spreading across his face, and made his way toward them.

As soon as he reached them, Sakura punched his arm, causing him to stumble back.

"Ouch!" he grunted. "What the—" He paused and glanced at his bruised arm, then at Sakura. "What's your fist made of, kid? Steel?"

"Anger and annoyance," she pouted. "I can't believe you said we were flirting! I don't even flirt. Mr. Perv here was doing the flirting, Asuma. Not me."

"Mr. Perv?" huffed Kakashi. "Gee, just because you caught me reading my romance book doesn't mean I'm a perv."

"You were reading porn, not a romance novel," she murmured.

"What you kids call porn is really romance." Kakashi shoved his hands deep into his pockets and allowed his gaze to drift to Asuma's puzzled face. "And Asuma, I don't flirt either. Not around my students, not around any other women I lay my eyes on. Besides, it's called a compliment."

"A really seductive compliment," snorted Sarutobi.

"Shut up!" Sakura threw another punch at him. "Can we just move away from this topic?"

"My God!" wailed Asuma. "Teacher abuse! Kakashi, how can you put up with a strong student like her?"

"I'm used to it," shrugged Kakashi. "She hits me almost every day when I pick on her, Naruto and Shikamaru."

"And you still haven't told Tsunade about her abusing you?"

"Do you really think she'd believe that a smart, intelligent, kind, giving and athletic girl like Sakura would hurt her teachers?"

"Damn, you got a point. Oops, excuse my language," laughed Asuma. He ran his fingers through his dark, blue hair, untangling the knots and winds. His black eyes eventually caught sight of the pile of boxes and he immediately questioned, "What's that?"

"Decorations for the Halloween party I'm throwing for my first period class," responded Kakashi.

"And I'm guessing Sakura helped you?"

"Yeah. Shikamaru and Naruto are also helping me out."

"How?"

"By putting up with Tsunade's bitchy attitude as they help her rearrange stuff in her office."

"Oh."

"Speaking of the kiddos…" Kakashi lazily eyed the open doorway, listening to the faint footsteps echoing in the hallway.

"Sakura! Sakura-chan!" Shikamaru skidded to a stop in front of her, Naruto trailing behind him.

"Wow," teased the girl, "you two look like you just ran a marathon."

"No time for jokes," wheezed Shikamaru as he pressed his hand against his throat. "Naruto screwed around in Tsunade's office, found her stash of sake and knocked it all down. It was a huge mess!"

"I didn't mean to! I was just trying to make you laugh!" retorted the fox-like boy.

"Make me laugh? That's a lie!" growled the black-haired student. "You just had to monkey around."

"But I—"

"Naruto! Shikamaru!" Tsunade's voice rang in everybody's ears.

"Oh shit," breathed Shikamaru. He grabbed Sakura by the wrist and pulled her forcefully. "C'mon, let's beat it and hit second period. We should be able to escape her for now."

"We? You mean _you_," she huffed. "And what about our late passes?"

"I'll be nice and give your teachers a call about it," interrupted Kakashi. "Now go and run off before Tsunade arrives."

"Thanks a bunch, Kakashi!" chirped the two boys as they sprinted out of the classroom, their backpacks bouncing off their shoulder.

The pink-haired girl shook her head disgracefully as she grabbed her handbag. Sure, Naruto can be a complete dummy but Shikamaru? That was way out of the picture. It was extremely shocking to see the scared expression on his face. It's something that he rarely exposed. Maybe he was really frightened of Tsunade?

"Sakura, aren't you heading to class?"

She glanced over her shoulder and her emerald eyes met Kakashi's mismatched ones. He glared at her intently, a small frown tugging at his lips. He seemed a bit puzzled.

"There's only ten minutes left," she whispered almost too quietly for anybody to hear.

"You should still go," he insisted. "I bet Genma is wondering where you are."

She laughed softly as she held the tip of her index finger close to her bottom lip. "Alright," she replied. She started off toward the exit swiftly, her handbag dangling by her side. Suddenly, she found herself hesitating and eventually she held herself to a stop. She looked back once again, ignoring the odd stares she were receiving, and concentrated on the stack of boxes in the corner.

It looked like a whole lot of work. It would at least take him more than an hour to get it all set up.

"Hey, can I help you set up tomorrow for the party?" she asked.

His eyebrows skyrocketed. "What for?"

She tucked a hair strand behind her ear and smiled weakly. "It just seems like a lot of work for just one person."

He was silent for a moment. "You will have to wake up early. And by early, I mean six o'clock."

She shrugged blandly. "Then I'll set my alarm clock to five."

"Are you seriously willing to commit yourself to assist me?" His glare sharpened.

"…Yes."

He sighed heavily and allowed his eyelids to slide closed. "I suppose I will see you tomorrow morning then."

She simply grinned in response and immediately left the class, leaving Kakashi and Asuma all alone.

Asuma chuckled, "She's a unique kid. Feisty, but extremely kind and thoughtful."

"Mm," hummed Kakashi, "you have no idea."

**_~X x . . . x X~_**

"Hello, my sweet Cherry Blossom! How was school?" Sakura's mother sang softly as she swiftly strode to her daughter. She placed a quick kiss on her forehead then skipped back into the kitchen to resume washing the dishes.

Sakura dropped her bag beside the couch in the living room and followed her mother into the kitchen. A delightful aroma slipped into her nostrils, shaking her body from the inside out. She smiled sweetly and leaned against the fridge. "Are you baking cookies again, Mom?"

"You know the scent all too well!" laughed her mother.

The young, teenage girl stared up at her mother, who seemed almost too much like her reflection. She had the same emerald eyes and pink, wavy hair. Sakura knew that she received most of her looks from her mother, but on the other hand, her personality was given to her by her father. Her father had brown hair, dark, green eyes and a great feisty attitude. He was born a fighter. He knew karate since he was five, but as he grew up, he became more and more sophisticated. He was employed as a doctor, a very intelligent one indeed. Apparently, most of his skills had passed down to Sakura, whom had also wanted to be a doctor.

"Oh, looks like it's ready!" The woman fleetingly scooped up the batch of chocolate chip cookies with her puffy mittens and carefully settled it on the counter top. "Smells delicious! Sakura, why don't you eat some before it gets cold? It's always best when it's warm and soft!"

"Great with milk too," added Sakura as she poured herself a glass.

She snatched a cookie and dipped it into the glass of milk, watching intently as it absorbed the drink. After another few seconds, she brought it up to her mouth and took a big bite. She munched on it slowly, savoring the wonderful taste. Boy, her mother was sure a good cook!

"How is it, dear?"

"Amazing as always, Mom."

"Excellent. Well I'm going to head on up to my bedroom. Call me down when your father arrives from his trip to the grocery store," announced her mother. "And don't you dare sneak out to your little apartment. You know you're not allowed to go there without our permission. The only times you should be there is when—"

"You guys are on a business trip. Yeah, I know the rules," interrupted Sakura, mouth full.

"Good." Her mother walked up the winding stairs and locked herself in the bedroom.

Sakura ate in the kitchen for ten more minutes before plopping onto the couch in the living room. She immediately clicked the TV on and started flipping through channels. She finally decided to watch Spongebob Squarepants, which was the only show on air that suited her enough.

'To Squidward's house!'

'No!'

'To Sandy's house!'

Sakura rolled her eyes as she watched Spongebob and Patrick march dumbly toward the tree dome. How amusing, she thought, well at least this isn't as worse as watching the news.

She suddenly jumped in her seat, feeling her phone vibrate against her thigh. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked a the screen. Shikamaru just texted her.

_Hey. Home yet?_

She starting thumbing her cell phone's keyboard, then clicked send.

**_Yeah. I just got home thirty minutes ago. _**

_Oh. I just arrived. _

**_Maybe that's because you're a slow walker._**

_I took the bus._

**_... Did you sleep again behind your house?_**

_... Yeah. My mom caught me red-handed, unfortunately. She's forcing me to wash the dishes and mow the lawn._

**_Haha! Your mom is so kind._**

_Aw shut up! Anyways, I convinced her that I'd study for two hours instead of doing that crap._

**_But your texting me instead?_**

_... Yeah. She won't catch me this time though. I locked my door and closed the blinds in my room._

**_Smart boy._**

_Very._

She almost snorted at his reply.

**_Oh hey, did Tsunade ever catch you and Naruto?_**

_Yeah, during seventh period._

**_... and?_**

_She gave us a long lecture that lasted forever. She was mostly directing her attention to Naruto, though._

**_Of course. He started it._**

It was a few more minutes before she received his reply.

_Hey, do you have the song You Are Forever by Hidan?_

**_I don't know. Lemme check._**

She pulled her handbag onto her lap and shuffled through her belongings, scavenging for her ipod. Nothing. It wasn't there. She pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead and grunted. It probably fell during Leadership when Kiba flung her bag around.

**_Dang it. I think it fell out at school._**

_Aw that sucks. Maybe you should email your teacher to find it._

The doorbell suddenly rang, the odd sound buzzing in her ears. She looked over her shoulder and stared at the door for a short moment before clicking reply. **_Hey, Shikamaru. I have to go. Someone just rang my doorbell._**

She lazily rose to her feet and trudged to the door. She looked through the peep hole and saw a vague figure of a silver-haired man. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

She opened the door a crack and poked her head through the small opening. She glared intensely at the guest, then opened the door wide enough for him to enter. He stepped in slowly and took a good look around before directing his attention back to her.

"Kakashi…why are you here?" she gulped nervously. "How did you find out where I live? Are you some sort of stalker?"

"I'm here because you forgot this." He opened his clenched hand, revealing a lightly-colored ipod. "I knew it was yours because you were the only student left in my class during second period." He watched observantly as she hesitatingly claimed her belonging. "I found out where you live by looking at your student information. All of the teachers have it. And no, I'm not a stalker." He smiled pleasantly, his eyes cringing in delight.

"Um…thanks," she thanked embarrassingly, shoving the item back into her handbag.

"Sakura, honey! Who rung the doorbell?"

The two gazed up at the second floor, their eyes meeting the other pair of emerald ones.

Her mother rose an eyebrow and questioningly gazed down at her daughter and the unknown stranger. She crossed her arms and bit her lip. "Who is this young man, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl glanced at Kakashi's face, which was reddening into a deep shade of pink, and croaked, "Mom, this is just Kakashi Hatake, or Mr. Hatake, my English teacher."

He managed to wave hello. "Hi."

"He just stopped by to return something I left in his classroom," continued Sakura.

"Thank you for doing that, Mr. Hatake," chirped her mother.

"Please, call me Kakashi," he coughed uncomfortably. "Well, I should run off now. I don't want to intrude…"

"No, no, no!" shouted the woman. "Why don't you just stay for dinner? I'll be cooking very soon and my husband should be arriving any minute with the groceries!"

"Eh, I couldn't." Kakashi eyed Sakura embarrassingly. "Like I said, I don't want to intrude, Mrs. Haruno."

"You won't be! Now won't you stay for dinner?"

"I suppose…" He scratched the back of his head, unsure of his decision. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.

"Great! Well I'll spiffy myself up in my bedroom and I'll be down in five to ten minutes. Make yourself at home!"

Seconds after Sakura's mother retreated, Kakashi and Sakura both sat on the couch and sighed heavily.

"Your mother is a loud and happy person," he commented silently.

"Sometimes it's annoying, but I love her 'cause she's awesome," she smiled.

Kakashi absentmindedly stretched his arm out behind her, his skin barely making contact with her neck. He eventually realized what he had done and wanted to pull it back to his side, but something told him that she didn't exactly mind. In fact, she almost seemed like she enjoyed it.

"So why did you decide to stay for dinner?" she suddenly questioned.

He scratched his chin with his unoccupied hand and stared at the TV, which was still on from Sakura's channel flipping. He hummed quietly and murmured, "Your mother kept insisting and well…I guess I gave in. Besides, right when I stepped into this house I smelled something quite delicate."

"That delicacy you took a whiff of was my mother's homemade, chocolate chip cookies," she stated as she leaned back, her head resting on his forearm. She felt him stiffen but relax after a few moments and smiled inwardly. "Would you like some? She finished baking it less than half an hour ago. It is probably still warm."

He glanced at her momentarily before chuckling to himself. "Sure, why not?" They simultaneously rose from the couch. "Please lead the way. I've never been to your house before so I might get lost," he mumbled with a blunt laugh.

"Of course. What kind of a hostess would I be if I didn't?" she giggled.

She led him into the kitchen where she then handed him a plate of two cookies. He took it gratefully and began eating. Later, they both began talking about everyday events. Kakashi explained the party he went to last week and Sakura told him about the time she, Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata took a walk in the park. Naruto had chased birds and toads he found in a small pond while Hinata and her watched with enjoyment. Sasuke, on the other hand, was sitting on a tree branch, playing his Gameboy.

Kakashi propped his head up with his hand. "I never thought Sasuke played a lot of video games. He seems too sophisticated and intelligent, even if he gives me death glares every now and then."

"He plays them to keep his childhood out of mind," murmured Sakura. "When he was a child, his whole family, including relatives, were murdered. He had lived in a small town before moving here to Konoha. Later, he figured out that his older brother, Itachi Uchiha, had done the deed. Sasuke told me that Itachi was nothing but a bastard, but I'm pretty sure that there's another story behind it."

"I've heard rumors," he said. "But I never thought they were actually true."

"It's all true." Sakura glared at her empty plate of cookies and released a harsh, jagged breath. "Sasuke can relate to the both of us. The only thing is that he hasn't really gotten over the pain." She felt her heart sink deeper into her chest as she spoke her final words. She wondered…should she really tell him all of this?

"Neither have us." She caught her teacher's gaze as he continued, "I haven't exactly gotten over my past, and I assume that you haven't either."

"I haven't," she breathed uneasily. She bit her bottom lip and allowed her eyelids to slide closed. "Kakashi…can I trust you to keep this information to yourself? I promised Sasuke I wouldn't tell anybody, but I told you because you look like one of those people who can keep promises."

Kakashi smiled weakly. "You can trust me with all your heart. I promise I won't tell anybody else."

**_~ X x . . . x X_**

"Wow, your bedroom looks plain."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "I never said it would be paradise!"

"No, I didn't mean it that way," he chuckled embarrassingly as he held his hand out in front of him. "I just thought girls were into girly things like pink bed sheets or boy bands…and naked men posters—wait wha—Ouch!"

"Okay, for your information, girly girls are into those things. I'm not girly, if you haven't noticed. And secondly, only desperate girls would get naked men posters!" she growled, throwing yet another punch at him.

"Ouch! Okay, I have to agree with Asuma. Your fist is made of steel," he grunted stubbornly as he rubbed his reddening arm. "Anyways, I'm just shocked to see that you're into Japanese-styled bedrooms. I'm standing right here, adoring the sight I see. Tatami mats, plain white bed spread, nice, hollow cabinets…and is that a fan I see?"

He strode toward the item and carefully held it in front of his face. "It looks amazing. The design is unique."

"That's because I designed it," she huffed, crossing her arms. "My father used to be a carpenter and he taught me how to carve many things. My aunt, Shizune, taught me how to create homemade fans and it's not that hard if you get used to it. She knew I was capable of making great creations since I have amazing art skills."

"Wait…Shizune…" Kakashi stared at the ceiling, trying to recall why that name meant so much to him. "Isn't she your doctor? And she's your aunt too? I'm pretty sure I met her when I brought you into the hospital."

"Yeah, she's my aunt. I don't call her 'Aunt Shizune' because it makes her sound old when she's only about thirty years old. She is also the assistant of Tsunade, our school principle."

"Tsunade…I almost forgot she owned that hospital. Must be tough trying to manage that and the students at school," he drawled. "It sounds like a lot of hard work."

She shrugged. "It probably is."

She seated herself on her bed, her back against the bed board, and patted the open spot next to her. He reluctantly accepted the invitation and sat next to her, shoulder to shoulder. For a while, neither said nothing. They simply observed their surroundings, their minds deep in thought.

"Hey."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"What am I to you?"

He looked at her, surprised from her sudden question. What does she mean to him? Everything in the world, to be honest. She was an excellent friend, one who would always be there and one who would always comfort. He didn't recognize the unusual, warming feeling in his chest but it pleased him.

He ran his fingers through his disheveled, silver hair, untangling the knots and winds. "To me…" Their gazes locked. "You are an amazing friend. I don't care if you're just a student. You're a great, kind and caring person and I'd be happy to tell anyone that you're one of my closest friends." He ruffled the top of her pink hair with a grin. "Don't let anybody put you down with their negative comments, kiddo, because you're too much of a bright light to be burned out. Keep that flame high and mighty, Sakura. You have a bright future ahead of you."

Her weak smile widened and her head rested itself on his shoulder. She yawned silently and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Kakashi. That…means…a lot…"

He heard her breathing even out. She was sleeping soundly on him, not that he didn't like it.

"Sakura."

Kakashi glanced at the open doorway and found her father, Mr. Haruno, glaring at him intently.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," he whispered raspily. "My daughter fell asleep on you, Mr. Hatake. I am so sorry for—"

"No worries," said the silver-haired man. "I'll let her sleep on me, just until I feel as if she's in deep slumber. Then I'll tuck her in for you." He gazed at the girl, then back at her father. "Don't worry, I won't do anything hasty."

"I know you won't," chuckled the middle-aged man. "You may not think it, but you're a very kind, young man."

Kakashi blinked twice. "I…I guess I am."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_** I'm not sure when I'll add Part II. I might be busy this weekend so I don't think I'll update so soon. Anyways, thanks for reading! I appreciate it a lot (:


	10. A Happy Halloween: Part II

**_A/N:_** Hello everybody. Again, I am sorry for not updating weekly but I have a life and a school schedule to keep so...yeah.

Disclaimer - I will never own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto

* * *

><p><strong><em>A Happy Halloween: Part II<em>**

She carefully stepped out of the shower, her body dripping wet, and dried herself with a towel. Eventually, she let it drop to the floor and started rubbing lotion on her skin. She shuddered as her fingers met the most private area, her hand curling around her thighs. She hung her head and let her arms drop to her side. After sulking for a few moments, she slipped on her underwear and bra, pulled a shirt over her head and slipped into her black skinny jeans.

She walked out of the steaming bathroom wearing an Eskimo-like jacket and a scarf tucked beneath her chin. Quietly, she tiptoed down the flight of stairs and scurried toward the door. She put her boots on, slung her handbag over her shoulder, and slowly took hold of the doorknob. It creaked slightly as she opened it a crack.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

Sakura cursed silently under her breath and looked over her shoulder, only to meet her father's pair of emerald eyes.

"Well? It is five thirty in the morning and I want an answer," he demanded sternly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

The pink-haired girl sighed heavily and murmured, "Okay…I promised Kakashi that I'd help him set up the classroom for the Halloween party our principle allowed us to have." She didn't bother to look at him as she said it.

"You mean Mr. Hatake?" She heard the confusion within his voice.

"Yeah." She glanced at him momentarily. "Please dad. Please let me go help him out. It could take him hours for him to set up without any assistance and I promised him I would go. I can't break a promise, I just can't."

He shook his head as if he was going to regret what he was going to do. "Alright, you can go. But you're going to have to sleep early tonight, okay?" he stated bluntly.

She took a step out into the porch. "No promises."

"Sakura…" It was clearly a hiss.

"Fine." She closed the door behind her and off she went, walking toward the Hidden Leaf Academy.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

He sat cross-legged in front of the pile of boxes. He stared at it, eyebrows creased, wondering whether he should start preparing for the party without her. Then again, he was extremely tired. He wasn't able to sleep at all last night because his mind was full of her. Images of her sweet smile, curvy body and bright eyes stained his brain. It shook him from the inside out.

He mentally slapped himself and ran his fingers through his silver, disheveled hair. Sighing, he rose to his feet, dusted the dirt of his jeans and lifted the smallest box he could find. Gently, he placed it on his desk and removed the tape. He opened it to see the content inside and found three rolls of black and orange streamers. He didn't remember buying this at all…

"You're here earlier than I expected."

He spun around and saw Sakura standing in the doorway, head tilted to the side. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and shrugged. "I guess I wanted a head start," he murmured, his eyes following her as she moved toward the streamers.

She held it with her petite hands and observed it. "Need help with putting this up? I could stand on a chair and place it on the walls," she said almost too quietly.

He keenly glared at her. "I suppose you can. Be careful though."

"I'm not a child anymore, I think I can handle it," she snorted as she dropped her handbag beside his desk.

He rolled his eyes and opened another box. He discovered two bags of cobwebs and decided that he would set it up in front of the door and around the student desks. He snatched a pair of scissors from his supply closet and snipped the plastic bag open. He pulled the large ball of cobwebs out, grabbed pushpins from the box with his spare hand and started placing it on the doorway.

By the time he finished, Sakura was halfway done with her task. Looking around for more to do, he lugged the fake, dead bodies across the classroom and propped some against the window, others being settled on the bookshelf. It was another ten minutes before he completely emptied the boxes and finished decorating for the party. By then, she was finishing up the last strand of streamers.

"You did a good job, although you only helped me with one thing," he chuckled, scratching his chin at the same time. He gazed at her intently as she adjusted her stance on the chair.

"Shut up," she growled. "I did much more than that. While you were searching for more pushpins, I took extra glow-in-the dark cobwebs and tangled them with the streamers. That's why it took me much longer than you expected. Now when you turn the lights off, they radiate a greenish color!" She grinned proudly at him as she looked over her shoulder.

"Yes, what an 'amazing' accomplishment."

She threw her fist at his chest. He wheezed as he stumbled backward and planted his hand firmly on a desk to keep his balance. "Gee, I'm just joking." He managed to smile slightly. "Thanks for the help, kiddo."

"Your welcome," she chirped as she hopped off the chair. "I bet the party is going to be great just from taking a look at the decor. It really makes it look like today is Halloween, even if the event is next week!" She smoothed out the wrinkles on her jacket and leaned against the wall. "Oh yeah, I have a question."

"Hm?" hummed Kakashi.

"Did you buy all of these things?"

"No, actually." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Genma offered to lend me some of the dead bodies he had from last Halloween and Asuma lent me the plastic pumpkins. I only bought the fake cobwebs, balloons, refreshments and I think the streamers."

"You _ think_ you bought the streamers?" she questioned.

"Well I don't remember buying them," he mumbled silently.

She laughed, "You have an amazing memory, Kakashi."

"An _ extremely_ amazing memory," he corrected.

"You make it hard for people to joke around," she huffed as she crossed her arms.

He smiled wryly. "Your welcome."

Kakashi kicked an empty box aside and quickly glanced at the clock. It was only quarter to seven so school should start in approximately one hour.

"So what do you want to do in the meantime?" He averted his attention to his young student and found her staring at him. "It's going to be a while until school starts and I'm bored," she said.

He pondered for a moment. "How about we flip the lights off to see the cobwebs glow?"

"Good idea."

The two strode toward the light switches and turned them off, then seated themselves in front of Kakashi's desk, their backs pressed against the wooden material. Neither spoke for a long period of time. They simply watched the fake cobwebs radiate a greenish color to amuse themselves.

Finding the scene unpleasing, Kakashi eyed the girl to the left of him. She didn't seem to notice his glares at all. She concentrated her gaze on only the decor they had set up not too long ago. It appeared as if she was distracted, almost enthralled by the sight of their so-called Halloween spirit.

He felt his heart stop as he spotted a frown tugging at her delicate, pink lips. It pained him so much to see her unhappy. But when she was in a good mood, it made his heart jump with pleasure. It made him much too joyous to see her happy. When she was happy, she was a whole different person—someone with a warm heart.

"Kakashi…are you still pained?" He caught her gaze as she finished her first sentence. "Do the memories of your past still haunt you and hurt you? Do you still feel a shadow hovering over you, consuming your breaths, making it impossible to breathe?"

He looked down and clenched his fists. He tried to answer her question but it was so difficult. After she spoke her words, he knew he wouldn't be able to reply. He hasn't been on this topic for a while now—more than a month. It was unnerving.

"I understand the feeling," she continued softly. "I'm sorry for bringing this up, but it has been bugging me for a long time. I just wanted to know if you're still hurting like me." Her voice was full of bitterness, he could tell, but she still kept that smile in place.

"I am." He shifted in his position uncomfortably. "No matter how hard we run, Sakura, the pain will always be there to confront us. We just have to learn how to overcome it. Everyone does."

She laughed painfully as she sank further back against the desk. "I know. It's just hard for me to bare the pain alone."

Suddenly, his hand settled on her shoulder and she brought her attention to his face. "You're not alone. You've got me."

She almost grinned at him. She stared at the ceiling, eyes slightly watery, and said, "Sometimes I wonder why I met an odd person like you—a perverted, lazy guy. I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I'm really glad I did."

Slowly, they rose to their feet and dusted the dirt off their clothes.

"Well…students should be arriving at the academy pretty soon. I think I should head on out to my locker so no one thinks I'm a goof hanging around class this early," announced Sakura as she started off toward the door.

Kakashi nodded and watched her as she reached out to take hold of the doorknob. Just then, he spotted a rampant figure behind the door through the window panel and knew something bad was going to happen. Speedily, he grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her back just in time before the door slammed open.

She stumbled back and fell into his arms, still trying to comprehend what had just occurred.

All of a sudden, Naruto popped into the classroom, bags full of Kitkat and Snickers hanging off his arms and a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Guess what I brought? Delicious candy for all of us to munch on!" He paused and blinked confusingly as he stared at his friend and teacher, whom were in each other's grasp. "Ne, what happened Sakura-chan? A hugging fest?"

Sakura slipped away from Kakashi's embrace and curled her fingers into a ball. Fire blazed behind her emerald eyes, frightening the both of them. "What happened?" She laughed mockingly. "We just finished decorating the classroom and I was just about to exit until you pushed the door open!"

The fox-like boy blinked thrice. "Oh, okay."

"Okay? No, no. It is not okay!" she growled fiercely. "You almost killed me! Thank goodness Kakashi saved me because I would have been dead meat by then!" She threw her fist at Naruto's shoulder, bruising him.

"Shit!" he wailed as he took hold of his aching arm. "I didn't mean to! I was so excited and I didn't really know what I was doing!"

The pink-haired girl crossed her arms and snorted, "You never do."

"She's got a point," agreed Kakashi.

Naruto shrugged and put the bags of candy aside. "Whatever. I'm just glad you guys accepted me the way I am. I'm a stupid and foolish boy but you're still friends with me!" The blonde laughed as he propped the door open.

"You're not stupid and foolish all the time," said Kakashi. "Everyday during my teachings, I always see you sticking up for another when people are arguing. It's really brave and courageous of you to do so and I find that a unique part of your personality. I almost feel like I look up to you!"

"Well that's odd," noted Naruto.

"It's a compliment, Naruto. Just say thank you." Sakura rolled her eyes, annoyed from her friend's remark.

"Oh." He grinned confusingly. "Eh, thanks Kakashi."

The silver-haired man waved his rude comment off. "No problem, kiddo."

Sakura shook her head, laughed silently to herself and strode to her desk. She seated herself and calmly removed her sketchpad from her handbag, then flipped to a new page. She hastily pulled out a pencil from her pencil box and began doodling. It was something that always passed the time.

While she was drawing, she noticed that Kakashi was inspecting her from a fair distance, pretending to grade his papers every now and then. As for Naruto, he was chatting with three other students who had just entered, Sasori, Kankuro and Gaara. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the three boys were surprised yet pleased.

A smile tugged at her lips and she averted her attention back to her paper. She realized that she had been drawing while she was thinking. The lines were all squiggles and the picture was unevenly shaded. Huffing in disappointment, she ripped the paper out, crumpled it up and began drawing on a new, clear page.

She started drawing the base of a person's head then suddenly stopped. She had no more inspiration. Her mind was completely blank. Completely.

She frowned unhappily and rested her chin on her upraised hand. Inspiration. She needed inspiration.

Sakura bit her lip and let her eyes drift to Kakashi. He was standing in front of the window gazing out into the open scenery. Something had then flashed in her mind and she immediately began drawing again. Eventually, she finished and observed her own artwork. Apparently, she had drawn Kakashi but instead of looking out the window, he was staring up at the sky. She was proud but a little disturbed. She had just drawn her English teacher. How can that not be disturbing?

"Nice drawing, Sakura."

She stiffened, covered her picture with her arms, and slowly looked up at Shikamaru. It appeared as if he just arrived.

"I'm pretty impressed, but I must say that I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable," he murmured as he claimed his seat beside her. "What happened huh? Were you in an artistic slump or something? What made you draw _him_?" He pointed at the man who was now standing in front of the classroom.

"Shut up," she hissed quietly. "I was bored and I couldn't think of anything else to doodle in my sketchpad. Just keep your lips sealed or I'll shove your head into your ass!" She clenched her fists to show him a sign of her anger and he flinched.

"Alright, alright." He sank further back into his chair. "I'll keep my mouth shut. But Sakura…just note that I am very worried about you."

"Okay, settle down class," said Kakashi. "Now I'm sure that you're wondering about all of the scary decor set up around my classroom, but if you'd just let me speak I'll explain why."

The students silenced themselves and stared intently at their instructor.

"Better," he smiled. "Now for my answer—we are having a Halloween party just for this class."

The students boomed ferociously, the uproar so loud that it nearly deafened him. He managed to silence them once more before giving them permission to help themselves and eat food, drink soda and have a great time with their friends.

"Ah, this is great!" exclaimed Naruto as he hopped to Sakura's side. "Hey Shikamaru, want a cookie?"

"Why not?" Shikamaru accepted his offer and took a big bite. Mouth full, he said, "It's nice of Kakashi to throw us a special party. I never expected this out of him. He's been much more happy lately, now that I think about it." He stuffed the rest into his mouth and swallowed. "Right, Sakura?"

She blinked twice, forgetting the presence of her friends, and murmured, "Yeah."

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged glances and the yellow-haired boy questioned, "Are you alright, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah," she repeated, "I'm just really tired. I woke up at five in the morning in order to help decorate for the party."

"Oh, no wonder you were crabby when I walked in," laughed Naruto.

"Shut up, dope!" She balled her fists and punched him on the same spot she had landed a hit on before class started.

"I'm joking!" he wailed as he bit his bottom lip. "Here, take a sip of my coke. It should rejuvenate you."

She took it hesitatingly and drank it. She felt a rush of energy slip into her veins and shivered. It was almost like coffee, except that it wasn't bitter but sugary. She grinned foolishly and said, "I do feel rejuvenated, Naruto. Thanks a bunch. This could keep me energized until school ends." She took another sip, savoring the sweet taste.

"So," began Shikamaru. "Do you guys plan on trick-or-treating?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup! I'm going to be Pikachu and Sasuke's going to be Raichu! Sakura said she might dress up as Pichu. Right, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah."

Shikamaru sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Great, a family of Pokemon. How nice."

"Shikamaru, why don't you be a Pokemon trainer?" suggested the fox-like boy.

"No way."

"C'mon! I heard that you have the gloves and hat! You could just buy the clothes later!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"I said no."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Shit, dude. When are you going to give up! I said no four times already!"

Sakura hung her head and turned her back on her arguing friends. "Damn, I can't handle your fighting anymore. If you'll need me, I'll be over there, away from you guys." She strode to the front of the room, the sound of Naruto's screaming still ringing in her ears.

She scrunched her nose as she grabbed Kitkat from the bowl of candy. She held it in between her index finger and thumb, inspecting it before peeling the wrapper off and popping the chocolate into her mouth. She allowed it to melt before chewing on the candy. Afterward, she tossed the wrapper into the trashcan and licked her fingers clean of chocolate.

"So how are you liking the party?"

She looked over her shoulder and found Kakashi nearing her slowly. She sighed, "It's great. I just walked away from Naruto and Shikamaru not too long ago to avoid their argument about their Halloween costumes. Naruto's shrilled scream is still stuck in my head." She spun around completely to face him and crossed her arms, elevating her breasts to a higher level. Apparently she caught his eye because he was staring longer than before.

His pale face reddened slightly and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment of being caught staring. He coughed softly to clear his throat before talking. "Ah, I see. I would become a little irritated too if I was included."

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Heh. Anyways, how are _you_ liking the party? You don't seem to be having much fun."

His eyebrows skyrocketed. "Ne? I'll have you know that I am having a lot of fun. I chatted with a few students. For example, I'm talking with you right now." He put his hand out in front of him as if he was asking something. "I bet the other teachers next door are envying me right now because the fun meter is about to burst!"

The pink-haired student blinked twice. "Uh, fun meter? If I tried measuring you with this so called 'fun meter', you'd be at the bottom of the scale. Zero! And I bet I'm the only student you've hung around so far."

He leaned against his desk and smiled wryly. "Now, Sakura. Don't say things that aren't true."

Her lips twitched. "Say that again and I will shove my fist into your throat and watch you choke to death!"

"Gee," he grunted, "no need to be too violent."

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

"Hey! Come back here, Shika! I'm not finished with you!"

"I'll come back later, dope!" called Shikamaru as his back fell against the wall with a thud.

He sighed heavily, inserting his hand into his left pocket to retrieve his cell phone, and allowed his eyelids to slide closed. Another second with that yellow-haired kid and he would have been a goner. Literally. Naruto was getting extremely worked up over the stupid costume conflict. In fact, he would always worked up over the littlest things. That damn boy needs to learn how to control himself.

He held the unlock button with his thumb shortly to see the time. Class would end in about ten minutes, which meant the party would end then. He let his phone drop back into the pocket of his jacket and looked to the right of him. His eyes met a pair of dark, pale green ones of a red-haired student.

"Oh, hello Gaara," he greeted lazily. "I didn't see you there."

"Hello." His voice was deep yet soothing at the same time. "Are you enjoying the Halloween Party Mr. Hatake threw for us? I thought it would be a bit disappointing but I suppose I'm wrong after looking at these happy faces."

Shikamaru scratched his chin, discomforted by his abnormally formal speech. "Erhm, yeah. Uh, you know you can call Mr. Hatake by his first name, Kakashi, right? In fact, all teachers prefer to be called by their first name. I thought you should know that by now since you've been here at the academy for the while."

"I know." Gaara turned to glare at Shikamaru. "I just never bothered to try, but if you insist, I will attempt soon."

"O-Okay."

Shikamaru let his gaze drift to the two figures in the front of the classroom. He watched with interest as Kakashi slowly backed away from Sakura in fear. Looks like he got her angry. Very angry.

He chuckled inwardly. It was disturbing to think that those two were a possible couple but it made him happy to see their bright smiles. He has only known Sakura for the first three months and he has never seen her smile this much around someone. He was glad she found someone who she could trust.

"I see. Apparently I'm not the only one who noticed."

The black-haired boy eyed Gaara. "So…you too?"

"Yes," replied the redhead. "I didn't think anyone saw their strong bond but myself."

Shikamaru nodded. "So did I."

"…Their bond, their relationship. It's strong, isn't it?" he asked curiously.

"After watching them many times…comfort each other, tease, joke around…I have to say yes."

"Holy crap, I am so sorry Sakura!"—"Oh my God."

Shikamaru, hearing the loud commotion, turned his head slightly and his eyes widened as they met the center of attention.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

She had fallen to the floor after accidentally being pushed down by Kiba after he stumbled rambunctiously upon her. Something felt very wet and warm against her lips. It was soft and felt delicate. Hesitatingly, she opened her eyes a crack and found Kakashi underneath her, his specs wide in shock.

Surprised, she planted her hands firmly on the tiled floor and pushed herself high enough that their faces would be apart. Her jaw slightly dropped after realizing what she had done. She had just kissed Kakashi. She had just kissed Kakashi. She had just kissed her _teacher_.

A few shadows hovered over them, and then came more. Eventually, it seemed as if the whole class was surrounding her and him. She could tell that the students were all chatting loudly among themselves about what recently occurred, but her ears were oblivious to their words. It all sounded like a blur. They all looked like a blur. What she only saw was Kakashi and what she only heard was Kakashi.

"S-Sakura…" He released a breath onto her face and his mismatched eyes softened a little.

She slowly removed herself from on top of him and shakily stood up, dusting off the dirt from her jeans. He did the same, scratching the back of his head like he usually does to make it look like nothing had happened.

"Sakura-chan!" Kiba made his way through the crowd and fell onto his knees. He swallowed and shouted, "Forgive me, Sakura-chan! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to shove you and make…this happen!" He hung his head in shame, cursing under his breath. "This is the second time I hurt you!"

Sakura stared at him, still trying to comprehend what happened to her, and said, "Oh. Um. It's okay. I forgive you."

"Really?" He immediately jumped to his feet and sighed in relief. "Phew! I thought I was a goner," he laughed. "So hey, how was the kiss?"

The girl then came to her senses. She balled her fist and sent it flying at the top of his head. She frowned in bewilderment and observed him as Kiba wailed aloud, a small drop of blood trickling down his forehead. "Baka! Why the fuck would you ask me that question! And you asked me to forgive you? Bah, I take what I said back!" she growled.

The bell ring and everyone snatched their backpacks and rushed for the door, acting as they saw nothing. Kiba did the same in order to avoid the ferocious Sakura, mumbling to himself as he exited the classroom.

Sakura tried looking for Naruto and Shikamaru and found the both of them waiting for her at her desk. She raced to the location, slung her handbag over her shoulder, and tried her best to ignore their comments.

"I try to have a good time at this party but then the makeout series had to stop by," grumbled Shikamaru as he grabbed his notebooks. "I'm not trying to be rude or anything but I'm so surprised that I can't help but saying negative things. Besides, it's become a habit."

"Then control it," she hissed, thumping him on the forehead.

"Ouch! Are you trying to kill me too?"

"So how was the kiss?" Naruto butted into their conversation, his expression full of curiosity as he took his first step out of the classroom. "Was it nice? Romantic? Sexy? For a girl, it must have been great to kiss a teacher like Kakashi. I'd hate to admit it but he's actually pretty good looking!"

"Aw shut up." Sakura's cheeks grew hot and red. "Just save it all for later."

"Sakura."

The three turned to look over their shoulder and spotted Kakashi glaring at them, face pale, from a fair distance.

"Do you want to talk about it for a sec? You know…to calm yourself down?"

She bit her lip and whispered to Shikamaru and Naruto, "You two go ahead. I'll catch up in a few."

"Whatever you say," they murmured. The two took off in the same direction.

Sakura spun around completely and shyly gazed at her English teacher. She couldn't tell whether he was satisfied with the kiss. His facial expression was absolutely blank. She only saw the paleness within his dark onyx and crimson eye.

She didn't know what to say about the kiss. It was soft, tender, yet accidental. She couldn't say that she really liked it, but then again it had made her heart race and pound against her chest. She could recall the feeling. It almost felt like her rib cage was going to snap in half.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked. His words sounded too much like a coo.

She managed to nod. "Y-Yeah."

"I apologize," he said quietly. "It must be discomforting to talk to me after…accidentally kissing me."

"No, I'm fine." She stared at her feet, embarrassed to look up at him.

Sluggishly, he strode toward her, shoulders slouched, hair hanging from his forehead and hands shoved deep into his pockets—his usual posture. When he reached her, he removed his hand from the pocket and brought it to her face. Gently, he lifted her chin so that her emerald eyes would be staring back at him. He revealed a tiny smile and took a step closer to her.

She looked amazingly beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes were as bright as the moon and her hair fell to her shoulders in a wavy, curly bunch. He couldn't help but smile. She was unlike any other student he had ever met and he has never felt this lively ever in his life.

He regretfully looked away for a moment and mentally cursed himself for thinking such words.

"I'll be honest with you, Sakura." He eyed her in an odd, seductive way. "I can't promise you that the kiss we shared won't mean anything in the future."

She reached out and grabbed his wrist. Carefully, she pulled his hand away from her face and brought it down halfway. She kept it there for a long time before saying, "Neither can I." Just then, the bell had rung and she took off, not bothering to take one last glance back.

His eyes followed her until she disappeared around the corner. He sighed while he tugged at his collar and fixed his fancy, black tie. "Boy oh boy," he murmured to himself, "I am going to have a ton of problems by the end of today."

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><p><em><strong>TBC<strong>_

_There will be a part III (:_

_**Reviews are appreciated**_


	11. A Happy Halloween: Part III

**_A/N:_** So a heads up on the upcoming winter break—I'm going to be spending New Years in Illinois, so yes, I'm going there again. Aha, it's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it. Oh, moving back onto the subject, I don't think I will be able to spend a lot of time on my fanfics when I go there. You never know though, I might have some extra time.

_**WARNING:**_ This chapter might break your hearts. Writing this broke mine…

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does

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><p><em><strong>A Happy Halloween: Part III<strong>_

Kakashi trudged into the teacher's lounge, a container of salad and plastic fork in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Carefully, he settled his lunch on an unoccupied table and seated himself, trying his best to ignore the glares his fellow staff were sending. Uncomfortably, he pried the lid off and stabbed his salad with his fork. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite, slowly swallowing it afterward.

He shot a quick glance to Might Guy who was located on the far right of the lounge. He was his internal rival—a peppy, confident man who always wore clothes of the color of green. Guy was shooting him daggers, eyes undecipherable. He seemed a little surprised and disappointed at the same time.

The word must have gotten around. The students in his class must have told their friends and their teachers probably heard their whispering and eavesdropped. Perhaps even Naruto blabbed about to both his friends and teachers?

The silver-haired man sighed and trailed the tip of his fork back and forth through his lunch. He didn't want to eat anymore, he had lost his appetite. He pushed his meal aside and rested his chin on his upraised hand. He stared at the empty space before him, noting the little scratches and dents on the table.

He allowed his eyelids to slide closed and started thinking back to the moment where he shared a quick, yet amazingly wonderful, kiss with Sakura. He remembered how soft her lips were—so tender, so delicious. The second she fell on top of him, the second her lips had fell upon his, a vibe of pleasure shot through his body. The kiss had shook him from the inside out.

He had told her the truth—that he couldn't promise that the kiss wouldn't mean anything in the near future. He recalled how close they were together, and the warmth they exchanged was unusually pleasing. The way she batted her eyes at him before she departed mesmerized him. It was pure beauty.

What was happening to him, he wondered, what was happening to the both of them? What was this feeling that sent his heart flying across his rib cage and released butterflies fluttering around his gut? What made him blush when they teased each other, what made him smile when she was happy, what made him laugh when she was pissed? What caused all of these actions? He didn't know.

_"I'll be honest with you, Sakura. I can't promise you that the kiss we shared won't mean anything in the future."_

He felt his head throb and gritted his teeth.

_"Neither can I."_

His eyes snapped open as he felt a hand firmly grip onto his left shoulder. He turned his head slightly and found Genma standing behind him, eyes pitch-black and dark. He watched him as he pulled an unoccupied stool out from underneath the table and sat, arms crossed in front of his chest. His senbon twirled in between his upper and bottom lip before hanging out the corner of his mouth.

"I've heard rumors," began Genma, "'bout you and that little Pinky. Some were about you and her making out on the floor, others were about a simple kissing accident, and a few were about…well you get my point."

Kakashi took in a deep breath and straight-up lied, "I have no idea what you're rambling on about."

"Don't lie, Kakashi." Genma's voice grew bitter. "Most of the staff are ignoring or avoiding you, students are chatting about this mess, and you've been unusually silent. Either of the things I mentioned have got to be true."

The silver-haired man gave up and furrowed his eyebrows. "Since you keep insisting on me telling the truth, I will. Sakura and I were simply talking until Kiba rambunctiously stumbled into the girl, causing her to fall on top of me. Somehow, our lips met during the impact and we both fell onto the floor. After a few seconds, she removed herself from me and we both rose to our feet. It was a quick, unintentional kiss Genma. _Unintentional._"

His chestnut-haired friend pondered for a moment. "Hm, alright. I believe you. Most of us thought you didn't mean to since you're the kind of a guy who never barks up the wrong tree, but we didn't want to make assumptions. Some, however, like your buddy Asuma thought it was real. You've got some explaining to do for him, plus Tsunade. She sounded pretty pissed when she heard about it." He removed the sharp needle from his mouth and pricked the tip of his finger with it. A small drop of blood oozed out and he wiped it on an extra napkin left out on the table. He didn't seem to be in much pain. "Kakashi, I know this situation might be hard to get out of…"

Kakashi sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his silver, disheveled hair. His mind began to wander elsewhere, other than Genma's story. His mind began to wander toward Sakura. Sakura…the kiss was unintentional, the both of them knew that, but something told him it was fate. When their lips made contact, it was like a gust of strong wind blew right through him. It had literally made his heart stop.

"Eh? Kakashi?"

Directing his darkening, mismatched eyes to his friend, he hummed, "Hm?"

"Are you alright? You seem a little pale," noted Genma.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," assured Kakashi. He rose from his seat, pushed it back and started off toward the exit. He waved as he departed, "You can finish my salad or throw it away, Genma. I don't really care. I'll be off, now."

"Kakashi, wait—" But by the time Genma tried seizing him, he had already gone, his figure disappearing into the hallways of the academy.

He sat back down disappointingly and fixed his bandanna. "Gee, what has gotten into you, Kakashi?"

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Kakashi trudged toward the window and gazed out into the open view, shoulders slouched and hands deep into the pockets of his trousers. He never imagined a day where it would come to this—so many odd, unusual conflicts.

He watched as a flock of birds flew past the window, their rhythmic chirps echoing in the atmosphere. He looked down at his feet and grunted. Could there be a possibility…that he must have fallen for her? He shook his head, thinking a relationship between a teacher and a student was obnoxious.

He heard footsteps coming up from behind him and a soft knock on the door. He glared back over his shoulder and found the new principle, Tsunade Senju, standing in the doorway, her expression undecipherable. She neared him slowly, the necklace around her neck bouncing against her unusually large breasts. He paid no attention to them for he had no interest in her whatsoever.

"I heard what happened," she started silently. "I ran into Genma and he told me everything."

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously and firmly planted her hand on her waist. "I was extremely bewildered when the rumors reached me. I was going to murder you, Hatake, but after hearing the truth I decided not to. Besides, your facial expression tells the whole story."

Kakashi didn't reply but kept his attention on her.

"So, Hatake…" Her blue eyes grew hard on him and he knew what was coming his way. "Do you have any feelings for this child? Tiny or big, I don't care. Tell me now, do you love Sakura Haruno?"

Silence filled the classroom. The silver-haired man hung his head and sulkily gazed at the floor. He wanted no part of the conversation. He just wanted Tsunade to disappear. No…he wanted to disappear so that he would be able to avoid any kind of trouble.

"Don't tell me no," she said bitterly. "Do not tell me that you don't have any feelings for this girl after sharing an accidental kiss with her. I know what it's like to be unsure about love, Kakashi. Tell me the truth, otherwise, we would have to take this conflict to another level."

He gulped nervously, "My feelings for her are unknown. I will be honest with you though, I really care about her."

Tsunade hummed quietly and looked up at the ceiling. "Fine, but to avoid you two from taking further steps into a relationship I have to remove her from your classes and place her in another teacher's responsibility. Perhaps in one of the classrooms located in the other half of the academy."

Kakashi felt his heart throb and stomach churn. He felt his lips tremble as he sucked in a deep breath. He balled his fists and croaked, "B-But Ms. Senju, I won't be able to see her a lot. I don't even think we would be able to talk anymore if you place her in the other half. You know very well that teachers from Building A and Building B aren't permitted to roam around in each other's territory."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'd hate to do it and I'd hate to see you like this after I do," she murmured, "but it's for the best…"

He started to retort, "But Ms. Senju—"

"Kakashi." She called his name sternly and tried her best to hold back the pain of seeing him in despair. "It's for the best."

It was then when his heart held to a painful, momentary stop. Breathing had gotten more difficult and the churning of his stomach was just unbearable. In order to hide the expression that revealed his vulnerability, he hung his head and glared at nothing but the floor. He didn't want Sakura removed from his classes. He didn't want her to disappear from his sight. He knew very well that their friendship would diminish if she would be removed.

"Do you understand…Kakashi," he heard her continue.

"I understand," he managed to reply.

"Good." From the corner of his eye, he watched her slowly depart his classroom. Her lips moved sluggishly as she spoke her final words, "Starting tomorrow, she will be learning in a different class. At least you would be able to see her roam the hallways. That would satisfy a piece of your heart." She took one last look of him, her blue eyes shimmering with sorrow, and left.

He slammed his hand on the desk beside him and cursed, "Dammit. Damn it all." He brought his forehead close to the top of the wooden desk and tightly closed his eyes shut. He felt the air expel in ragged bursts from his mouth as he growled low and angrily to himself. He shook violently and tried to calm himself from creating an outburst. Out of all of the horrible things that occurred in his lifetime, this was the worst incident yet. Whatever strength he had left that kept the barriers standing around him was gone. The strong side of him was no more. What now existed was a scrawny weakling with nothing to hold onto.

Tsunade thought that only one glimpse of that girl would satisfy a piece of him. She was wrong. One glimpse, one look, one take; they would not be enough. They would not fill him with the joy and comfort that he felt each day with her.

The cracks were beginning to show. And they were big.

He licked his dry lips and swallowed the rising tension in his throat. Unsteadily, he strode toward his own desk and slumped back into his leather, rolling chair. He stared blankly at the stack of graded papers on the table, then at the pencil container he received as a gift from Sakura, a week after supposedly solving all of their problems. Anger and frustration began to boil once again and unable to hold back the tears, he let them flow like a river. One by one, they plopped onto the papers, smudging the ink and creating dark, grayish stains. He propped his head up with both hands, arms standing upright, and drew his elbows close to his neck.

In the passing minutes, his jagged breaths slowed and eventually grew soft. He was still shaking mightily but he had managed to seize his cries. Silence crept into the room and an eerie feeling prodded at his spine. What was this massive fury that he had just released? What was this sensation that made his insides rock back and forth?

He sighed heavily and blinked once. He felt a tear stubbornly cling onto his lashes and rubbed it away with the back of his hand. Was this feeling…could it really be…

Footsteps echoed in the hallway once again and he was hoping it would pass by without a single stop. Unfortunately, he was wrong and heard the clacking halt near the doorway. He didn't want to guess who it was for he already knew. The musky scent of ferns had already reached his nostrils, telling him who exactly the mysterious visitor was.

"K-Kakashi?"

Kakashi glanced at the doorway and as he suspected, Asuma stood boldly yet his eyes were wide in fear. Apparently he frightened him with his sudden change of attitude.

"Are you okay, pal?" questioned the blue-haired man, his thumb and index finger brushing against his furry beard. With no response, he continued, "I heard about what happened between you and the kiddo. I just want to make sure if what I heard was correct—"

"I don't have time for this," interrupted Kakashi.

"Just tell me—"

"I said I don't have time for this."

Quietly, the silver-haired teacher rose to his feet, inserted his belongings into his brown, leather bag and started off toward the door. By the time he reached the doorway, the bell rung, signaling that lunch was over. He swiftly brushed past Asuma and marked his next destination — the school exit. He was hoping that Sarutobi would let him slip away. He didn't. Instead, Asuma took hold of his wrist and tightened his grip.

Students began swarming in the hallways and the sight of him struggling to escape from Asuma's grasp caught their attention. Silently, Kakashi hissed, "Let go of me, Asuma. You're attracting attention."

"I don't care," huffed Asuma. "I won't release you until you tell me what's up!"

Kakashi's glare hardened. "I said let go!" he repeated, his voice rising to a near shout.

The parade of students surrounding them silenced themselves and curiously gazed at the two men. Heatedly, Kakashi yanked his arm away from Asuma, who was in a shocked daze, and stormed away in his usual, calm posture as if nothing had ever happened.

The Sarutobi blinked twice, awakening from his trance. He eyed the frightened students around him. Knowing that he must take over this conflict, he commanded, "What are you still doing? Get to class! You're going to be late for fifth period! Go on! Go!"

He motioned for them to move on and when they were all gone, he allowed his back to fall back against the wall and shook his head. He hadn't seen Kakashi like that for a very long time. The last time he had seen that side of him was when Rin passed away…

Asuma's senses immediately came to him. "Kakashi…could it be…that you are in love again?"

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><p><em><strong>AN:**___ Yeah, I know. It's a very short chapter. The following update...well...it isn't necessarily a sequel to the Happy Halloween stuff. You can consider that done. The story is basically back to the regular drama. Ehe, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_**Reviews are Appreciated**_


	12. Our Last

**_A/N:_** So, erhm, I just finished midterms and chem finals. Yeah, they weren't as hard as I thought, but I guess that's because I studied for hours straight. My brain hurts, even though two weeks passed after those tests. Aha.

P.S. I am currently working on a new KakaSaku one-shot that is unusually...sad.

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 12: Our Last_**

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><p>Sakura blindly pushed her way through the students crowding around her and silently made her way to the far end of the gym where no one would talk to her. Her classmates curiously watched her as she tiredly seated herself on the cold tiled floor. Those who had many questions on their minds stubbornly started to walk toward her, but others were smart enough to know how awkward she felt and stopped those people.<p>

She fixed her gym shorts before hugging her knees. Her eyes fixated themselves on the boy's locker room door. She waited for moments, then minutes, but the awaited person never came. She sighed and drew her knees closer to the bottom half of her face. She nestled her chin in between the small crack of her legs and stared blankly at the floor.

She muted the shouts and murmurs of her classmates around her. She muted the sound of their rampant footsteps and the shifting screech of the inside bleachers. Intently, she listened to her own breathing. It was calm, yet it revealed all of her emotions. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

She felt…different.

The pink-haired girl shook her head to awaken herself from her trance, then focused on the doors again. No one was there.

Suddenly, she heard a sound coming from the gym lobby entrance. She immediately gazed in that direction, but she only found the school principle, Tsunade Senju, entering quietly. Her hopes dropped once again and she discontinued her search for him. Shortly after resuming daydreaming, she noticed that Tsunade was walking toward her. Eventually, the blonde reached her and knelt down beside her.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you about something important," started Tsunade, her voice soft.

Sakura eyed the principle awkwardly. "Please, I'm not in the mood to explain my odd experience, Ms. Senju."

"It's not completely about that, but it is based off of that predicament."

The young student bit her lip and knew she was going to regret saying this. "Fine. What is it?"

Tsunade gently placed her hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear. Sakura's eyes grew wide in shock and sorrow as she heard the very words, "I'm sorry. You are no longer going to be in Kakashi's English class and Physical Education class. You will be moved to the B building for English and will have a different P.E. teacher for this class."

Sakura clenched her fists and refused to believe what was happening. She wouldn't be able to see her friends as much anymore during school hours. The most unfortunate thing: she wouldn't be able to see Kakashi again.

"Ms. Senju, I don't understand," she croaked.

"You won't be able to understand if I told you," sighed Tsunade. "I'm sorry Sakura, but it's to avoid trouble. No one wants trouble." She rose from the floor slowly and brushed off the dust from her dress. "The least I could have done was keep you in the same period."

The blonde-haired lady began walking away and Sakura watched with watery eyes as she sluggishly approached the exit. All of a sudden, she jumped up to her feet and sprinted to Tsunade. She made it just in time to stop her from leaving and grabbed her by the wrist, surprising her greatly.

She speedily asked out of curiosity, "Where is K-Kakashi?"

Tsunade's eyes softened and she stared at the ceiling momentarily. "He will not be coming. I had told Anko to round you guys up and instruct you along with her class. She will be arriving very soon."

"What do you mean he's not coming?" murmured Sakura.

"He just isn't going to come."

And then Tsunade left without turning back to look at the breaking, distraught child.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

School had just ended and students started filing out into the halls, chattering and teasing each other as they squeezed themselves through the front exits. Others stayed behind to fetch their belongings from their lockers, some taking their time and others hurrying to escape the bullies of the academy.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

Sakura slammed her locker shut and smiled painfully at Shikamaru, Naruto and Hinata. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The three of her friends exchanged confused glances and Shikamaru continued, "If the incident is bothering you, let us help you."

Sakura glared at her feet and fidgeted with her fingers. "It's not only that…I'm being removed from Kakashi's English and P.E. class. Tsunade told me it was 'for the best'." She sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. "And starting tomorrow, I'm going to be in Building B for English and Anko's probably going to be my P.E. teacher."

"What? No!" wailed Naruto. "We won't be able to see you as much anymore, Sakura-chan!"

Hinata nudged the yellow-haired boy and whispered, "N-Not helping, Naruto-kun."

Sakura nodded and dismissed Naruto's outburst with a wave of her hand. "I know, I know. I just don't understand why she would do such a thing. It was all an accident…a simple accident."

Shikamaru closed his eyes tightly. He knew why Tsunade would place her elsewhere, rather than in Kakashi's hands. An incident like that must have tightened their relationship by a ton. It would be impossible for a kiss to mean absolutely nothing.

"A simple accident?" breathed Shikamaru, absentmindedly. "Accidental kiss or not, Sakura, it still doesn't mean you don't feel anything at all." He shoved his hands into his pockets and eyed her suspiciously.

The pink-headed student blinked twice. "What are you mumbling about, Shika?"

He averted his gaze to his classmate and sighed, "Nothing. I was just talking to myself about homework."

Silence.

"Well, w-why don't we take a quick stroll in the park to ease our f-frustration?" suggested Hinata, hoping to change their bitter thoughts into something more cheerful. "Maybe a quick-hour walk will d-do?"

Naruto bobbed his head up and down. "Definitely. I can sure use a distraction to take my mind off all of these tests!"

"G-Great," Hinata slightly grinned, "How about you two?"

"Hn, why not?" — "I guess…"

It was twenty minutes before the group of friends arrived at the park. It was nice, breezy weather for a day in fall and the trees were just starting their hibernation for the winter. All four teenagers paid no attention to the slightly cold wind. Instead, they tried their best to concentrate on the better good.

It was peaceful as they strode through the winding paths. There weren't as many children roaming around in the park like they thought there would be. It was just pure silence.

Sakura sighed quietly and observed her surroundings. They were nearing Konoha's cherry blossom garden, one of the most beautiful sightseeing places in the city. She held out her hand and watched as a pale, pink petal settled upon her palm. She revealed a tiny smile and released it back into the breeze. Her emerald eyes followed the petal as it flew across the sky, eventually being led to a vague figure in the near distance.

She squinted her eyes and tried to make her vision clearer. She was only able to make out the person's masculine features and spiky hair, which was a familiar shade of silver.

It was then when she came to her senses.

"Oh, Sakura. Are you okay?" questioned Shikamaru as he turned his head to face her. His pupils were pitch black, and full of curiosity and worry.

"Y-Yeah," replied the girl. She sped up and she eventually started to jog ahead of her friends. She waved back as her jog transitioned into a sprint. "I'll catch up to you guys later! I'm just going to check something out for a few minutes!" she called.

"But Sakura-chan," Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, "you're heading deeper into the forest! Home is that way!"

Shikamaru held Naruto back. "Just let her be," he murmured.

Naruto and Hinata confusingly stared at him. "But…Shikamaru—"

"Just let her be," he repeated.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

__Sakura pushed her way past hanging branches and clouds of flying cherry blossom petals, running her fastest through the never-ending crowd of trees. The figure was becoming less visible as it traveled deeper and deeper into the park's forest. He was getting farther and farther away from her. She _couldn't_ afford to lose him. Not now. Not ever.

Light suddenly crossed her eyes as she burst through an opening. She slowed to a stop as she saw him standing still in front of a river, his reflection on the water's surface distorted and blurry. She was still rapidly breathing. He probably already knew that she was chasing after him.

She took a small step forward and glared at the back of his head. He seemed so…pained.

"Why are you here…" He turned to look over his shoulder and his cold gaze met hers. "…Sakura?"

She neared him slowly until they were a couple of feet apart. "Why…why am I being removed from your class?"

He didn't reply, but kept his attention on her.

She gulped nervously, "Is it because of the kiss? Is it because _we_ accidentally kissed?"

"It's for the best, Sakura."

Her eyes grew wide and teary as he spoke the very bitter words she had never wanted to hear. Those words taunted her, almost frightened her for the matter of fact.

"But what about our friendship?" she whimpered.

He refused to respond, turned his back on her, then continued to stare mindlessly at the river.

"Kakashi…what about our friendship," she repeated sadly. He still did not reply, so she embraced him tightly. She broke into tears and nuzzled her face into the cloth of his shirt. "What if I need help again, Kakashi? What am I going to do if you're gone!" she cried. "Can't you a-at least tell me why?"

She felt him take in a calm breath. His voice was low and hoarse as he said, "Sometimes it is better to have things not said than said, Sakura."

Sakura stepped back and let her arms drop to her side as she felt her heart sink into her stomach. A tear stubbornly clung onto her lashes and she rubbed it away with the back of her hand. She attempted to keep herself steady, but her body didn't listen to her and continued to shake heavily.

A few seconds later, Kakashi spun around to face her. He stared into her watery eyes painfully, then hesitatingly came closer. By then, his and her face were merely inches apart. He surprised her by gently caressing her cheeks and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Suddenly, he placed a chastise kiss on her forehead. Her eyes grew wide as his lips traveled to her cheek, then ghosted over her ear lobe. They were both very still for a minute. Her heart was rapidly pounding against her chest, ready to break free from her ribs. She wanted to push him away for doing such things, but at the same time she wanted to let it be.

Silently yet bitterly, he whispered, "This will be our last, kiddo."

And it was their last.

It was the last time she had ever saw him smile and it was the last time she had ever seen him walk away from their friendship.

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><p><strong><em><span>AN:_** LOL, sorry for giving you guys such a bitter and sour update. I thought it was time to give this story a little drama.

_**Reviews Are Appreciated**_


	13. Cry, My Beloved

**_A/N:_** So I know how much you all are begging for frequent updates so I am going to TRY to balance out my drawing and writing time. Yeah, to be honest, I've been spending more time on DeviantART and homework than Fanfiction. Sorryyy about that ^.^"

Another confession...I usually start plotting out ideas for this story before or while I try to go to sleep. I don't know why, but I guess it helps me sleep. So I suppose I have a basic outline for every future chapter I will be publishing. Haha, I'm weird like that.

BY THE WAY, I am planning to put a solution together for Kakashi's and Sakura's conflicts SOON. Not now, not the next chapter, and probably not the chapter after that one, but SOON.

P.S. sorry for the short chapter. I'm planning to make the last one larger.

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto and I never will! Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

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><p><em><strong>For You<strong>_

_**Chapter 13: Cry, My Beloved**_

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><p>"Sakura, honey. Please open the door. Sakura dear?"<p>

Sakura's mother pounded frustratingly on her daughter's bedroom door. And again, still no reply. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, listening to the child's muffled cries and whimpers. She shook her head in worry and knocked on the door, this time more heavily. There was_ still_ no reply from her daughter, so she gave up hope and stared blankly at the door. For minutes, she intently listened to her silent sobs and frustrated breaths. She had never seen Sakura so distraught and angry ever in her life, but supposedly, there was a first time for everything.

The woman slightly closed her eyes, bit her bottom lip, and held her clenched hand close to her chest. She was worried about Sakura, and not only her, but for her friends too. Whenever Sakura's emotions wavered with despair and anger, they would always somehow influence other's emotions as well. Sakura was a different girl. She was unique. She wasn't like the children who held in their tears and forced themselves to forget about terrible memories. Instead, she was a person who always held those horrifying memories right by her heart, no matter how painful they were. Unfortunately, sometimes that pain would be too much for her to bear, leading her into a depression.

Sakura's mother shuddered as the doorbell suddenly and rapidly rang twice. She glanced at her daughter's bedroom door, then at the front door. She sighed as she quickly strode down the wooden stairs and toward the entrance. She sucked in a deep breath, put on a delighted smile and carefully opened the door. Her eyes met the dark eyes of Shikamaru Nara and Sasuke Uchiha.

"Hi, Mrs. Haruno," greeted Shikamaru as him and Sasuke waved hello.

"Hello boys," Mrs. Haruno murmured, "may I ask why you two are here?"

"Well, we wanted to see Sakura." Shikamaru scratched the back of his head and shrugged bluntly. "She was walking at the park with me, Naruto and Hinata before she spotted something—or should I say someone—that caught her eye. She sprinted after whoever the heck that was and deserted us. We waited and waited, but she never came back. After an hour, we all went home but I wanted to make sure if she went home safely, so I came here."

"And I ran into him, heard the whole story, and decided to tag along," added Sasuke.

She pursed her lips and dragged her eyes across the ground. "I don't know boys…"

"Please, Mrs. Haruno," said Shikamaru. "We really need to talk to her and make sure she's alright."

The pink-haired woman stepped aside and regretfully invited them in. "Very well, but I tried talking to her and she didn't even let me into her bedroom. She hasn't talked to me ever since she got back home. Please be gentle. I don't want you hurting my daughter…"

"We won't," assured Sasuke.

The Uchiha nudged his friend, then the two of them slowly walked up the stairs. Neither spoke as they reached the top of the staircase. Hesitatingly, Shikamaru stepped up to knock on Sakura's bedroom door. He pounded against it softly and heard her rapid breaths seize to a complete stop, but there was no sign of movement that indicated that she was going to unlock the door. He knocked again and croaked, "Sakura, it's me and Sasuke. Can we come in…please?"

All of a sudden, they heard footsteps from the other side of the door. Then, the lock on the knob clicked and the footsteps were immediately heard again. Knowing Sakura, she probably walked back to her bed to stuff her face on her pillow.

Sasuke eyed Shikamaru, and Shikamaru eyed Sasuke. They both nodded and pushed the door open. Shikamaru entered first, Sasuke following slowly behind him. Their peachy faces drastically paled as their eyes met a distraught Sakura. The pink-haired student was hugging her bare knees, her chin tucked in between the crack of her legs. Her bangs fell effortlessly over her forehead and eyes, her skin was nearly white, and her cheeks were stained with smudged mascara and dried tears.

"S-Sakura," stuttered Shikamaru, "what happened?"

"Kakashi walked away from our friendship," she said dryly. "He left me…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. Out of all of the people in the world, why was the person who broke her heart Kakashi?

He frowned in disgust and thought to himself for a long time. During that period, he repeated a series of fist clenching and teeth gritting. After finally being able to calm himself down, he glared at the girl, observing her closely as she lifelessly dropped her legs from the side of her bed.

The girl talked to him a lot about her past, usually about how depressed she used to be. He never saw that side of her up until now. And it was _horrifying._

Shikamaru reassuringly patted her on the shoulder. "It'll be alright, Sakura. I'm sure Kakashi will never leave you. He isn't the type of a person to desert people and hurt them. Maybe…he's trying to avoid trouble."

She didn't reply and continued to sulk.

Shikamaru turned around and started off toward the door. "I know how much you like my cooking I'll make you some of my special miso soup to cheer you up a bit. I'll be right back."

"But my mom doesn't like it when people randomly start cook—"

"I'll get around it…somehow," he interrupted as he left her and Sasuke all alone.

Sasuke watched as Shikamaru disappeared around the corner, then strode toward Sakura's bed. He eyed her suspiciously as he claimed his seat right beside her, a fair distance set between them. He fumbled with his fingers, wondering just how to make her a little happy. Sakura was never easy to get through, especially when it came to her personal life. After being her friend for a couple of months, he knew that she always caged her heart from people she didn't trust.

He was one of those people who she didn't trust. Sure, he was a great friend of hers but she didn't just trust anyone. She trusted the people who she was extremely close to.

Sasuke stared at the ceiling. Sakura always told him how much she trusted him, but it was an obvious lie. She barely told him anything personal or talked to him about her problems. He hated the fact that he hadn't fully gained her trust, but what else was there to do?

"Sasuke?"

"Hn," he hummed in response, directing his attention toward the girl beside him.

Sakura twined a portion of her pink hair around her index finger, then breathed, "Do you know what Shikamaru meant when he told me Kakashi might be trying to 'avoid trouble'?" She gazed at him shyly. She looked almost too vulnerable.

"Well," he began softly, "maybe he was relating to the kiss you and Kakashi shared."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "The kiss? What's so special about the fucking kiss!" she hissed angrily. "It was a simple accident that happened to occur. It was nothing! It meant nothing!"

Sasuke sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "I hate people who lie to themselves. Stop lying to yourself, Sakura."

He placed his hand on her shoulder and gripped it tightly, causing her to stiffen. "You keep telling everybody that, Sakura, but you know that you did feel something when your lips landed on Kakashi's. Your friendship must have tightened by a lot, and not only that, but your affection too."

"Bu—"

"The last time you saw him…did you notice anything different about Kakashi?"

Sakura's eyes widened.

_Suddenly, he placed a chastise kiss on her forehead. Her eyes grew wide as his lips traveled to her cheek, then ghosted over her ear lobe. They were both very still for a minute. Her heart was rapidly pounding against her chest, ready to break free from her ribs. She wanted to push him away for doing such things, but at the same time she wanted to let it be._

_Silently yet bitterly, he whispered, "This will be our last, kiddo."_

It was then when she hung her head in defeat. She refused to look at Sasuke. She was shameful.

"Kakashi was on the border of liking you more than a friend," whispered the Uchiha. "I guess he didn't want his interest to grow even more, so he left you hanging. It must be hard for him, but he's trying to avoid trouble. I suppose Tsunade understood this too, so maybe that's why she removed you from his classes."

Sasuke removed his hand from her and placed it on his lap. He hardly glared at her as he said, "I guess what Kakashi's trying to tell you is…'Forget about me'."

A tear slowly slid down the side of Sakura's cheek and she wiped it away quickly, but she knew that Sasuke had already seen it. She silently thought to herself, remembering all of those treasured moments she had with Kakashi. All of those precious moments…were suddenly starting to diminish completely.

"Just forget about him," repeated Sasuke.

Sakura let her eyelids slide closed and whispered, "Forget about him…huh."

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><p><strong><em>Reviews are Appreciated<em>**


	14. Without You

**_A/N:_** Hi guys, sorry for the super duper long wait, but I was busy with school work and my drawing obsession has been getting bigger xD Anyways, I hope you enjoy this bittersweet-ish chapter. And hey, don't worry about Sakura and Kakashi. I plan on bringing them back together in the next chapter, not completely, but they'll converse with each other again a little.

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does!

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><p><em><strong>For You<strong>_

_**Chapter 14: Without You**_

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><p>Aoba Yamashiro strode into the classroom seconds after the tardy bell had rung. He greeted the English class with a wave and a quiet hello, then told the students that they were able to converse to each other while he booted up the power point. When he turned his back on them, immediately, the classroom burst into giggles and laughs.<p>

"Sakura, what poem are you reciting today?" Gaara poked his only close friend on the side, causing her to jump in her own seat.

Sakura turned to face him with a great big smile.

It has been almost five months since she was removed from Kakashi Hatake's classes, and it has been almost five months since she had broken down in tears. She had forgotten the man, the moments they shared together, and their friendship. She had forgotten his betrayal, and all of the other things he did that were of harm to her. Now, he was a simple stranger. It was almost as if they had never met.

During those five long months, they never spoke to each other, and she hoped she wouldn't ever have to ever again.

"Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost. It's a simple, nice little poem," replied Sakura, happily.

"Ah, I'm reciting Devotion by Robert Frost. It's very short, but meaningful," explained Gaara, his expression undecipherable as always.

The girl gave a heartwarming smile once again. "Cool."

"Alright! Alright! Settle down children!" Aoba yelled over the roaring students, cupping his hands around his mouth. When they silenced themselves, he grinned and began explaining today's agenda, including the poem recitation.

It was a long hour of English. Class passed by slowly due to all of the ignorant interruptions from Rock Lee, in which the boy kept complaining about Aoba's 'insufficient' address toward the students. The bowl-headed boy continuously wondered why Aoba referred to them as children instead of matured teenagers. Aoba countered that they were all too noisy and disruptive to be mature, but of course, Lee stubbornly disagreed and continued to argue. Although it was a very long time before the bell ended the dumb conversation, Sakura was glad that Lee kept interrupting. Due to his outbursts, the dark-haired English teacher had to move the poem recitations to next week.

Sakura was far too exhausted to recite so she mentally praised the idiotic boy.

It was a while before lunch came around the corner. She was losing her patience, as well as her stomach. It was grumbling loudly during third period science. Thank goodness Shikaku Nara, her science teacher, gave one of his unusually loud lectures when it started rumbling like an earthquake. She would have died of embarrassment if anyone were to hear her hunger problems.

"Oi! Sakura-chan! I have it!" Naruto came running in her direction and skidded to a stop beside her as she slammed her locker shut. "I…I…haaaave…h-have it. The…Oh God…I ran all the way here from Building B just to…"

"You have it? Oh, you do have it! Hand it over!" she squealed joyfully as she snatched the sealed container from his hands.

He eyed her and almost spat in bewilderment, "O-Oh! So this is the sweet care I get after sprinting all the way over here! Th-Thanks a bunch, Sakura-chan! I appreciate your dear kindness!"

"Sorry, Naruto," laughed Sakura. "I just love your homemade Jell-O. It is absolutely delicious!"

The pink-haired girl pried open the container and picked a slice of Jell-O, immediately popping it in her mouth afterward. She hummed with delight as she swallowed it, then ate another. "Damn, Uzumaki. You may not look like it, but you're an amazing cook! You can even make your own special ramen!"

"Aha, thanks!" grinned the boy, finally catching his breath.

"Although, you're not the tidiest person," she giggled quietly, mouth full.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"You were supposed to."

"Sometimes I wonder why you are so rude sometimes."

"Genes, I guess. I mean, back then when my mom was my age, she was a strong ass-kicker. Plus, my dad was born a natural fighter."

"Great, a family full of bitch-slapping fighters. Huh, and I thought your father was sophisticated!"

"Haha, you don't know my family that well, Naruto."

"You got that right."

"Hey."

The two students looked over their shoulder and found Gaara and Temari nearing them slowly.

"Oh, hi there Gaara!" Naruto greeted joyfully. "You guys are here to join us for lunch at Ichiraku Ramen, right?"

"Yeah," said Gaara silently.

"Hm, so we're all going to pay together, am I correct?" asked Temari. "Because last time I ate with you, Naruto, you left me with the bill. Fucking dumb ass."

"Eh, ah, well." Naruto was unable to find the right words so he gave up. A few moments later, he almost jumped in realization. "Oh hey! Where's the other dude…uh…Kankuro! Yeah! I thought he was tagging along too!"

"Nah." Temari shrugged bluntly.

"Unfortunately," Gaara continued for her, "he is sick today. He caught the flu from Chouji."

"Oh."

Sakura quickly changed the subject. "Now, now. We should all head over to Ichiraku Ramen before the lunch period ends. We're about five minutes into it right now, and it takes the same time to drive there."

"I agree with Sakura," stated Gaara. "Let's go."

The four teenagers drove to Ichiraku Ramen like they had planned and ate ramen happily. They talked to each other joyfully, enjoying each other's warm company. The restaurant owner, Teuchi, even let them get seconds for free! In Sakura's opinion, that was one hell of a nice man!

Thirty minutes into their lunch time, they all finished and drove back to the school. They all arrived just on time as the warning bell rang and they speedily rushed to their next classes. Temari sped to her Science class taught by Shikaku while Gaara, Naruto, and Sakura rushed over to the gym for Physical Education.

After a adrenaline-filled class of harsh workouts directed by her new P.E. teacher Anko Mitarashi, she approached her last and final class of the day, Math taught by Asuma Sarutobi.

Sakura took her first step into the classroom.

"Boo!"

"Aiyeee!"

Sakura screamed loudly and jumped backward. Her back met two strong hands and she glanced over her shoulder. Two dark eyes glared down at her, mocking her and her habit of screaming when frightened.

She spun around and poked the man hard on the chest, causing him to wince slightly. "Do that again, and I swear, I will rip you apart!" she snarled, immediately storming away to her seat afterward.

"Ha, I love scaring you kids!" Asuma grinned and scratched the back of his head. "But I'll just make sure that I don't scare you again, Sakura. I don't want to end up in your 'To Kill' list."

"Ha ha, very funny." Sakura rolled her eyes and sat down with a huff. Sometimes, Asuma could really get on her nerves.

The tardy bell rang, signaling that class had started. Lazily, she pulled out her notebook and pencil. She sighed as she started jotting notes onto her paper, glancing every now and then at the whiteboard to see the new lesson. Like every other day, Asuma gave them problems to try and it was as easy as pie.

The methods he taught them made life so much easier.

"Now, as you can see, the answer to this problem is—"

A pattern of soft knocks on the door directed everybody's attention to the door where a tall, lean man stood — a man she hadn't seen for a _very_ long time. A man she was hoping that she would never have to make contact with again.

"Oh, why hello Kakashi," greeted Asuma. "It's nice to see you, but don't you have a class to teach?"

Kakashi shrugged and bluntly said, "Shiranui is watching them for me. I just stopped by to pick up the papers that Tsunade needed to hand over to me."

"Oh, I almost forgot about them." Asuma chuckled halfheartedly and snatched an unusually big pile of papers from his desk. It almost looked as if he shoved them into the silver-haired man's hands as he gave it. "Here you go. Tsunade had a bunch of paperwork for you to fill out. She said it was from the school district, I think. Anyways, why stop by now? Why not after school?"

Kakashi's dark mismatched eyes slowly scanned the white sheets. He seemed much more different than the last time she had seen him. His skin was pale, his eyes were lifeless, and his expression was emotionless. His eerie aura almost tore the happy atmosphere into shreds.

All of a sudden, his gaze rose from the paperwork and intertwined with hers. She shuddered as he sent odd chills down her spine. She could tell that he was drowning in those bitter memories of the past. She could tell that he was unhappy and broken.

"Ka…kashi?" sputtered Asuma as the blue-haired man realized that the two were exchanging glances.

Kakashi eyed his friend and his lips barely moved as he murmured, "I'll be on my way now. I don't want to delay your schedule." He exited the classroom, saying farewell with a simple wave of his hand.

Sakura allowed her emerald eyes to drift to the surface of her desk. She fidgeted with her fingers, remembering both the happy and sad moments she and Kakashi had shared. The times where she enjoyed his company were countless. They were unforgettable, but she was hoping she wouldn't have to face those memories again like this.

Their friendship was hard to sever after all.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

__Sakura sighed as she finished typing the last paragraph of her history essay. She was resting on her belly, her legs kicking up and down behind her. Her laptop sat still before her eyes, its screen gleaming brightly. The bed sheets beneath her were wrinkled and lumpy, making her very uncomfortable.

She wiggled and shifted in her position, trying to flatten the hills. After failing miserably, she huffed and saved her essay in her documents folder.

Suddenly, her screen flashed as a message popped up.

_Well that's just great. I only finished half of the damn essay. _

Sakura smiled. She had been emailing Shikamaru for the past hour about their history essay. At first they were talking about the upcoming football game where Naruto and Sasuke would participate in. Then Shikamaru asked a question about the homework, which led to his excessive complaints about it.

**_Haha, then maybe you should have started earlier, Shika._**

It was two minutes before he replied.

_Maybe I should have…Hey, how was math? I heard Asuma scared the shit out of you again._

Her lips twitched.

**_Speak of that again and I will bury you alive…_**

She moved the cursor over the send button, but hesitated momentarily. Should she mention that she had encountered Kakashi?

Sakura shook her head and silently told herself she was going to regret this.

**_…and I saw Kakashi again._**

Silence consumed the atmosphere once again before her laptop rang, indicating a new message had been received.

_Oh, really? How?_

_**He just strode in to retrieve some paperwork from Asuma.**_

_I see…Did you talk to him at all?_

_**No…but he looked unusually unhappy. I almost thought he was a ghost.**_

_Ah, well Kakashi has been like that for a while. You didn't know?_

_**I never knew.**_

_Sakura…he's been distraught ever since the incident. He doesn't smile anymore, he doesn't joke around anymore, and he refuses any kindness or care that are offered toward him. It's like I don't even know him._

The pink-haired girl shuddered tremendously as she finished reading the last of Shikamaru's reply. Unsteadily, she closed her laptop and let her legs hang off the edge of her bed. She sat still, her mind filled with dreaded thoughts about the miserable man. Had he done that to himself, or was it her that had done it to him?

"Sakura, honey! Dinner is ready!" She heard her mother call for her loudly, her womanly voice echoing in her bedroom.

Silence.

"Sakura?" Her mother called out her name again.

"I'll be down in a minute!" she finally replied, hopping off the side of her mattress.

Slowly, Sakura walked toward the exit. Before she stepped outside into the hallway, a picture frame caught her eye and she took hold of it. It was a picture Naruto had taken back when she was still in Kakashi's English class. She was standing in between Shikamaru and Gaara, while Kakashi stood tall behind her. His hands were firmly planted onto her shoulders and in the picture, she didn't seem to mind at all. They were all smiling brightly. Even Gaara was grinning joyously. She could almost remember that moment as if it happened yesterday.

Her eyelids clasped closed and she gripped onto it tightly. She stepped in front of the garbage can and held the frame above it. She loosened her fingers slightly, getting ready to get rid of the bittersweet memories.

"Sakura! Your food is getting cold!"

She bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows. After moments of standing still, she carefully placed the picture frame back in its rightful place and ran downstairs to meet her parents for a lovely dinner.

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><p><strong><em>Reviews are Appreciated<em>**


	15. Fate

**A/N:** Okay, so I'm finally managing my time between homework, drawing, and writing fanfictions. Before, it used to be very unbalanced. I would spend more time drawing and doing homework instead of writing, and at other times I would just mostly draw. But now, all issues are smoothed out and I guess my schedule has become less rowdy.

Now for the bittersweet romance...

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 15: Fate_**

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><p>"Hello? Oh, why…I haven't talked with you for a while, Ibiki!"<p>

Sakura's mother adjusted the house telephone, placing it on her shoulder, then pressed her cheek onto it to keep it in place. While she spoke on the phone with Ibiki Morino, her and her husband's boss, she continued cleaning the dining table with a washcloth.

"Uh-huh," she murmured silently, wiping the dust off the surface, "Oh, dear. Another business trip? For how long?"

_"Two weeks tops. You will be flying to Kumogakure, the city known for it's lovely view of clouds."_

"Mm," hummed the woman. "It seems like a lovely place to be, but what about my daughter, Sakura? I can't just leave her alone. We cancelled the rent for her apartment and plus, it appears that she's on the verge of becoming depressed. There must be someone here to watch her."

_"I understand how you feel, Mrs. Haruno, but this is urgent. Both you and your husband must go Monday morning."_

"But I—"

_"Listen, I'm giving you today and tomorrow to find someone to take care and watch over your daughter. Spend this time wisely, Mrs. Haruno. I'm expecting to see you at the airport at Monday morning, Nine A.M. sharp."_

"Understood," she sighed.

She hung up the phone and blew her bangs out of her face. Where on Earth could she find someone trustworthy enough to watch over Sakura? And that person must not only be trusted by her and her husband, but must also be trusted by her dear daughter. Knowing the young girl, there is almost nobody that she does hold close and near to her heart…

The pink-haired mother gazed at the ceiling as a certain man crossed her thoughts.

"Perhaps he will do…"

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Kakashi rolled his shoulders to release the tension that had been building up in him since dawn. He was extremely exhausted and just couldn't find the ability to sleep before going to work. He had been awake since four in the morning, thinking about the many conflicts he had with the pink-haired girl. When he saw her that day, he swore he felt his heart sink into his stomach. It was months since he saw her and that was the first time since then.

He almost groaned inwardly as his chattering students began heading into his classroom. Feeling a severe headache starting, he pinched the bridge of his nose. His brows bunched as their ignorant laughs pierced his eardrums. He couldn't take another bit of frustration, otherwise, he'd explode.

Trying to concentrate on his own duties, he began organizing the graded exams on his desk, placing them in order from first period to last period. When he finished, he glanced up at the clock and realized there were still a couple of minutes before class actually started.

Glancing at his class, he saw that it was only half full. Maybe everyone had a late start.

A pattern of soft knocks interrupted is smooth flow of thoughts. His mismatched eyes slowly rose to the doorway and to his surprise, there stood the mother of his former student, Sakura Haruno. She was almost a mirror image of her daughter. She held a bright, welcoming smile yet her eyes held a dreaded worry.

Calmly, he strode toward her and greeted her with a slight bow of his head. "Hello, Mrs. Haruno. It's a shock to see you after so long," he greeted silently, rubbing his tired eyes. "My apologies. I haven't been getting much sleep these past few days."

Her eyes cringed and she grinned in delight. "No, no. It's alright. I haven't been sleeping much either, Mr. Hatake."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "Please, just call me Kakashi. Anyways, what brings you here?"

The brightly-haired woman poked her head around the doorway and scanned the classroom. "Well, I'm looking for my daughter, Sakura. After she left for school, I got a call from my boss and now we have a scheduled flight to Kumogakure. I need to tell her that my husband and I are leaving for a business trip on Monday."

Kakashi blinked. "Hasn't she told you? She was removed from my class and placed into Aoba's responsibility five months ago."

The woman sighed and shook her head. "Ah, is that so?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Well, Sakura hasn't been telling me much for the past few months. She never wanted to talk to me about her problems and kept insisting that she was fine. She's always hiding her pain with fake happiness and I can't help thinking that she's on the border of a depression."

He felt his heart stop momentarily. "O-Oh, how unfortunate."

"Indeed," she muttered, "that's why I needed to talk to her about this business trip. If I left her alone, who knows what could happen?"

"Maybe you should find someone responsible enough to take care of her," suggested Kakashi.

She placed a finger on her chin. "See, um, that's another reason why I'm here."

The silver-haired man raised a brow, "I'm sorry. I'm a little confused."

"I know Sakura trusts very few people with all her heart, and I think you're one of them."

His eyes widened. "P-Pardon?"

"It might not seem like it, but she cares deeply for you, Kakashi. That is why I'm here. I want you to watch my dear daughter for two weeks."

"Watch over her…for two whole weeks?" he gulped.

"Please," begged the woman, "I need you to watch my daughter. Please."

Kakashi stood silently as the bell suddenly rang. He didn't know what to do. Should he reject the proposal or accept it?

He watched the students quietly as they seated themselves and unpacked their belongings.

"Oh dear, class is starting isn't it?" she sighed with misfortune. She pondered for a few seconds before continuing, "How about you stop by our house later on this evening? We could discuss about it then."

"I don't know—" He glared shortly at the woman's face and found her tearful eyes very hard to avoid. "Very well."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed with a bow of her head. "I will see you this evening!"

Kakashi swallowed. Hard.

As she departed, he couldn't help thinking about the mess he had gotten himself into.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

Kakashi loosened his grip on the steering wheel. He stared out into the open, thoughts racing through his mind.

It was eight o'clock in the evening and he had just parked in front of the Haruno family's humble abode. He was nervous, almost frantic. He didn't exactly want to be Sakura's guardian for two weeks, but at the same time he didn't want to see the girl drown in sorrow. Earlier before he arrived, he was arguing with himself about whether or not he should go to their house. To his surprise, the soft side of him had won, leading him to his current position.

Shaking ever so lightly, he stepped out of his car and sluggishly traveled to the porch. When he fell face to face with the door, he forced his hand to pound gently upon it. As the door swung open he felt his heart fly, but much to his relief, it was only the father of the child.

"Hello, Kakashi," greeted the middle-aged man, "You may come in. We have dinner waiting at the dining table."

Kakashi tugged at the collar of his shirt as he entered, "Dinner? You guys didn't need to make dinner for me. After all, I am only here to talk about your wife's suggestion."

"I know," replied the man, "but we figured that you must be craving some food by now. I assume you didn't eat yet?"

The silver-haired man felt his stomach growl silently to the sweet aroma of miso soup and grilled saury. "I guess dinner won't hurt," he mumbled as Sakura's father released a hearty laugh.

He was led to the dining room where he then met a delightful arrangement of food, and to his appeal, most of them were his favorite. He politely greeted the mother, then seated himself at the end of the table, the opposite to where Sakura's parents sat.

Minutes into their delicious meal, Kakashi spoke, "Is Sakura here?"

Her mother shook her head no. "She called me before you came and said she was on her way. Apparently, she was just at a friend's house studying for a future exam next week."

"I see," he murmured, mouth full. "So, about me taking care of your daughter…"

"Ah, yes." The pink-haired woman wiped her mouth with a napkin and folded her hands on the table. "Like I stated earlier this morning, I want you to be her guardian for two weeks while my husband and I are off at Kumogakure. To make life easier for you, my husband and I decided that you could stay here in one of our guest rooms. You can pack some clothes and belongings to bring along as well. You can do anything to help Sakura out, concerning health, hydration, food supply, etcetera. I understand that this upcoming Monday, there is no school so I want you to arrive here early. Quarter to eight will do. Well, this all applies to your duties if you accept my offer."

"Sounds reasonable," he said nonchalantly. "Just…tell me why you want me to take care of her again?"

The father butted in, "Listen, boy. I understand that you and Sakura haven't made much contact for a while, but she _needs_ you. I could tell she has been trying to forget you to get over whatever reason that brought you two apart, and let me tell you about that - she hasn't been exactly successful. Even though it may look like she dislikes you, you're the only person we know that she trusts deeply."

"What exactly happened between you two that broke your friendship apart?" questioned the mother.

Kakashi swallowed his food and scratched the tip of chin. "It's hard to explain, but the principle, Tsunade Senju, thought it was best that Sakura was removed from my class and placed in another teacher's responsibility."

Silence.

"Hm, I guess that's a good enough reason."

The silver-haired man nodded and finished the last of his supper with good-eating manners.

As he ate, a string of odd emotions ran through his heart. He was unsure about many things, but this conflict was by far the worst. He vowed to keep his affection far from her, but if they were to be together once again, their attachment would grow perhaps quicker than when it first started.

He cared for Sakura with all his heart and it hurt him to hear the hardships the girl was going through, but if it were to get out of hand, borders would be crossed and boundaries would be blurred.

He knew very well that teachers must not feel affectionate toward students, but…

His spoon dropped to the table, averting the couple's attention to him.

His mismatched eyes grew weary as he lifted his gaze up to look at them.

Being as straightforward as he can, he said, "I suppose I can take care of Sakura for a few weeks."

Her mother revealed a huge smile. "Great!"

Suddenly, they all heard the front door open and close. Before he knew it, Sakura was in the dining room.

"Mom, I'm home…" She stopped dead in front of the table as her emerald eyes met him. "Y-You," she sputtered.

He shrugged and calmly said, "Yo."

She was still for a moment before scurrying away, murmuring a quick, "Excuse me."

Sakura's mother rose from her seat to retrieve the daughter, but Kakashi stood up immediately and insisted that he would go talk to her.

He exited the dining room and glared at the winding stairway in the living room. Shaking his head with a sigh, he climbed up the stairs. He wondered why he decided to go talk to her rather than having her parents talk it out with her, but perhaps it was just instinct.

When he reached the entrance of her bedroom, he poked his head inside and found her looking out from an open window. Her wavy, pink hair flowed past her neck with the incoming breeze, and from an angle, he could see that she was none too happy.

Nervously, he knocked on the wall as he stepped in.

"Go away."

He took a step further, "I don't think that's going to happen."

She lowered her head slightly and breathed, "Why are you here?"

Kakashi ran his fingers through his disheveled hair as he observed her bedroom. "Your parents are going away on a business for two weeks this Monday. They asked me you be your guardian for that period of time."

"And why did you accept?"

He allowed his eyelids to slide closed. "To be honest, I don't know. Maybe a side of me wanted to see you again."

She spun around to meet his icy glare. "But I thought you were trying to avoid me."

"I'm trying to avoid trouble," he corrected quietly.

Her eyebrow skyrocketed, "Oh? So now I'm trouble?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that you are trouble. What I'm saying is that our relationship itself is the trouble." He crossed his arms as he leaned against the cold wall.

She gave him a sickening look and frowned. "What relationship?"

"Our friendship?"

"Hm, you mean that bond that you broke?"

"I broke that bond for a very good reason."

"What? To hurt me?" she growled in bewilderment, her eyes growing teary.

He took another step closer. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"So then what is this 'reason'?"

"Some things are better when not said…"

"You tell me there's a good reason to break my heart, but you won't even explain it? That's bullshit!" she cried.

"Sakura, our friendship was leading us elsewhere."

"To where? It wasn't like it was going to kill us, Kakashi!"

At this point, it was becoming very hard to smooth things out between the two of them. Her barking and misunderstanding was just making it more difficult.

"We kissed," he murmured silently.

"Accidentally," she added out of frustration. "It was a fucking accident, Kakashi. How was that supposed to contribute to our friendship?"

"But I eventually kissed you, didn't I?" he continued nonchalantly. "That day at the park, I did something no teacher should have done - I placed a kiss on your cheek. We were becoming _ attached_, Sakura, and before we were separated, I wanted to let you know how much you meant to me."

Her eyes widened in shock as he took her by the hand, but she neither said nor did anything to stop him.

"Some teachers regretted doing such things, but I didn't," he whispered bitterly. "I never regretted the day we met and I never regretted giving you that small kiss. What I did regret was when I left you hanging without a reason why I left you. I never thought breaking our friendship would hurt you so much."

She still didn't reply, but he could tell that they were both coming to an understanding.

"I never wanted to put you through so much pain, but we were becoming attached and I couldn't allow that to happen."

Sakura gulped, "What's so horrible about an attachment?"

Kakashi eyed her in an odd, seductive way. "Because when two people become attached, they eventually fall in love."

A blush came across her face and she looked down to avoid his gaze. "But what's wrong with love?"

He released her hand and lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet. "Nothing is wrong with falling in love, Sakura, but the love that we would share would be forbidden love, and forbidden love is highly looked down upon."

He ruffled her pink hair and smiling bitterly, he exited her bedroom. "I'll see you on Monday, kiddo."

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><p><strong><em>Reviews Are Appreciated<em>**


	16. Starting from the Beginning

**_A/N:_** Hi guys! I was very anxious to write this next chapter, so I did all I can to update this story quickly.

Anyways, the end of the school year is slowly nearing. Spring break is in two weeks! *children screaming* Yay! Also, star testing (or state testing) is coming up! And since I'm in 8th grade now, I have to be tested on English, Math, Science, AND History! Yippee T_T

Oh well. I definitely look forward to 8th grade promotion though. Can't wait!

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does!

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 16: Starting from the Beginning_**

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><p>Monday morning came by slowly. The rest of Sakura's Saturday night was completely awkward, and on Sunday it didn't exactly get any better. She was just even more anxious than the day before. Confusion blurred her mind for hours and anxiety continuously pounced on her heart like a lion.<p>

The conversation that she had between herself and Kakashi was not only surprising and nerve wracking, but it also brought them back together somehow. For sure, she thought Kakashi had forgotten the precious moments they shared together, but oddly enough he didn't. And to her surprise, he even confessed how deeply he cares for her!

Sakura rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling above. For a long time, she thought of the words Kakashi told her. Definitely, they meant something, but what exactly? If she meant _that _much to him, does that mean he had fallen for her? Was that the reason why he mentioned forbidden love?

Her eyebrows bunched. She snatched a pillow from beside her and dug her face into it, sighing deeply out of frustration.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Sakura, dear? Can you go get the door? Your father is still in the shower and I'm still packing clothes for our trip!" She heard her mother run frantically from the room beside her.

Releasing a deep breath, Sakura hopped out of her bed, strode down the stairwell, and walked toward the doorway. While combing her messy, disheveled hair with her fingers, she looked through the peep hole and fount the silver-haired man waiting impatiently outside, a medium-sized sports bag sitting behind him.

Slowly, she opened the door and her emerald eyes met his onyx and crimson ones.

She crossed her arms, "You came an hour early. That's unusual for someone who's usually tardy."

Kakashi lazily shrugged and replied, "There's always a first time for everything."

Stepping aside, she allowed him into her house. She observed him closely as he scanned the living room. He didn't seem too excited to be here, although something told her that he was partly glad. The look on his nonchalant expression did not say much, but the glow in his mismatched eyes were brighter than yesterday. That meant something.

After minutes of letting him get used to his surroundings, she began, "Since my parents are still readying themselves, I might as well show you to your temporary bedroom. Then, maybe, you can unpack or read your stupid porn."

"Sure, sure," he murmured as he followed her up the stairs. "And that porn happens to be a good romance novel," he added silently.

She rolled her eyes. Still the same old, perverted Kakashi Hatake.

When the two of them reached their destination, Sakura turned the knob of the door and pushed it open, revealing a organized, tidy bedroom. In the middle, there lay a queen-sized bed with yellow sheets that complimented the dark, maple wooden headboard. The pillows were arranged nicely in a certain style that made it seem fancy, the round ones placed in front of the rectangular ones.

The walls were painted with a nice, light shade of beige and were decorated with frames of nice, antique paintings of scenery. Behind the bed, a huge window stood tall with red curtains embracing its sides. It had a nice clear view of a garden in the backyard.

The pink-haired girl moved towards the right and opened another door that led to a bathroom. She took a peek to see if everything was still clean like the way she had left it after tidying up the room yesterday and glanced at Kakashi, who was still looking around in the bedroom.

She coughed awkwardly to attract his attention, "There's a bathroom right here, so you don't need to keep traveling to the bathroom across the hall." She eyed him suspiciously as he placed his bag beside the bed. "Feel free to do crap with this room. Just don't trash it and destroy everything."

The man nodded and scratched the back of his head unsteadily. "Sure thing."

Kakashi bent over to unzip his bag. He reached into it and pulled out a teal-colored book with the title of 'Make-Out Violence'. He seated himself on the bed and began reading with so much concentration that he didn't even notice the girl grumbling in irritation.

Sakura sighed inwardly and gazed out the open window. She couldn't say that she completely forgave him for what he had done to her. He hurt her emotionally and the pain was unbearable. Even looking back at those times gave her horrible nightmares. Although he apologized truthfully, she could not trust him. Not anymore - at least, not yet.

"…Do you like me?" The words that she had been thinking of suddenly trailed out of her mouth and she bit her lip. Although she was very curious, it was very embarrassing to mindlessly let her thoughts slip out into the open.

"Sure, I guess. You're a nice girl," he replied bluntly without looking at her.

"No. Do you like like me?"

"…Define 'like like'."

Sakura pondered for a moment, her cheeks slightly reddening. "Do you…love me?"

After it being said, she felt her stomach churn and her heart bounce against her rib cage. She wanted to know. She absolutely wanted to know. Their conversation the other night confused her greatly and she needed to clarify the feelings he felt about her.

"Love is a strong word Sakura," he murmured as he flipped the page.

"Do you love me?" she asked more boldly.

"I care about you."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"Okay, I care _deeply_ about you."

"My question is still unanswered."

She watched him as he turned the page again and started reading. She waited impatiently for him while he slowly scanned the page and observed the illustrations.

Finally, he said, "Loving you would be a mistake."

Her lips parted slightly. Bewildered, almost angry, she remarked, "A mistake?"

He released an uneasy breath and closed his novel. Staring at the floor, he stated, "Haven't I told you before? I can't allow an affectionate relationship to develop between us, otherwise it would be forbidden love—"

"And forbidden love is highly looked down upon," she finished for him.

"Exactly."

She furrowed her eyebrows and directed her attention to the window again.

"Why did you ask?" he questioned abruptly.

Sakura gazed at him with peachy cheeks.

"Do _you_ love me?" he continued slowly.

She shook her head. "No, I never really thought about us being _together_."

"Oh." The interest in his mismatched eyes died out and he focused on the floor again. "Let me ask you something…"

She raised a brow at him.

"What would you do if I told you I love you?"

Sakura thought about the question for a while before answering, "I have no specific answer, but any man who tells a woman that he loves her is brave and is worthy of being loved by that woman."

"Worthy, hm?" he hummed quietly, scratching his chin.

Nodding, she let her eyes drift elsewhere. Not only her question wasn't answered, but he added even more confusion to the predicament she was tied in.

Her mind was clouded with curious thoughts about him and his personal life. She remembered the things he had told her about him, but he was still shrouded in mystery. He always excluded himself from publicity. He was the type of a person who avoided people and their habits of poking into others' lives. As a matter of fact, he was pretty good at that. Avoiding those kinds of things was one of his many odd talents.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Sakura's mother knocked gently against the wall to attract their attention. "Sakura, dear, we are leaving now."

Sakura looked up with weary, distant eyes.

"Don't you want to kiss us goodbye?" asked her mother, concerned.

The young girl finally woke up from her trance and put on a small smile. "Okay."

Sakura followed her mother out the room and down to the front door. When they reached the open entrance, she found her father waiting, hands gripping tightly onto their luggage. Sakura's mother placed a chastise kiss on her daughter's forehead and hugged her, as well as her father.

When Sakura's father left to put the remaining luggage in the taxi, Sakura questioned, "Mom, why did you pick _him_ to babysit me?

"Hon," smiled the mother, "Don't think of it as babysitting. He's not your babysitter. He's going to be your temporary guardian."

"Still the same thing," she rolled her eyes. "And you still didn't answer my question. Why? Why did you pick him?"

Her mother placed the tip of her index finger on her bottom lip. "Because, my dear, Kakashi is a very nice and responsible man. I know him well enough now since you brought him here many times long ago."

"Yeah, but—"

"You trust him, don't you?"

Sakura's gaze fell to her bare feet. "…I don't know anymore."

The woman placed her hand reassuringly on her daughter's shoulder. "In time, you will encounter your feelings toward him. Your friendship with him will grow again, and I know that for sure. Then, when the time comes, you will know whether you trust him. Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay…"

"Good. Now, I'll see you in two weeks. Be a good girl, hm?"

Sakura watched intensely as her parents were driven away in the taxi, the vehicle disappearing around the corner. With a sad smile crossing her face, she waved goodbye, though her parents were already gone. Slowly, she closed the front door and pressed her forehead against it.

She closed her eyes for a short moment and calmed herself. When she turned around to return to her own bedroom, she spotted Kakashi glaring at her from the top of the stairwell, his mismatched eyes clouded with darkness.

Ignoring his presence, she walked into the kitchen. She strode around the counter and opened the fridge. She stuck her head in it, searching for something good to snack on. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything else but a can of orange crush soda. There were only ingredients for cooking meals.

After closing the fridge and turning around to exit the kitchen, she found Kakashi standing in the open doorway with a blank expression.

Holding a hand to her chest, she mumbled, "Stop following me around and scaring me."

"I was following you around," he admitted bluntly, "but I had no intention of scaring you."

She shook her head and opened the can of soda. She sipped the refreshment delicately, enjoying the carbonated tangerine taste sizzling on her tongue.

"Are you hungry?" he suddenly asked, leaning against the wall.

She glared at him in the eye. "No."

"Are you sure?" he wondered aloud. "I'm pretty sure I saw you hunting for food a few moments ago."

"Just mind your own business."

"You're going to starve."

"Don't care."

"To death," he added nonchalantly.

"Still don't care."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "Boy, you are a stubborn one."

"Thank you," she smiled sarcastically, "Being stubborn is my specialty."

"Being stubborn isn't good," he noted.

Her eyebrows bunched. "Does it look like this pretty little face cares?"

He hummed, pondering shortly. "Hm, well that pretty little face should."

A faint blush crossed her face. Did he seriously call her pretty?

Noticing her reddening cheeks, he commented, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"N-No," she said dryly, "Nothing at all."

Silence.

"So…are you hungry?"

She looked at him in bewilderment. "Just drop it."

Temper boiling, she stormed up the stairs and locked herself in her bedroom where she could enjoy the feeling of being alone.

Sighing drastically, she flopped onto her bed, turning her laptop on shortly after. Once it was completely booted up, a window popped up, notifying her that she had received a message about ten minutes ago.

_Hey, can I come over to your house? - Shikamaru Nara_

_**Sure, but my parents just left for their business trip.**_

It was a few minutes before he replied.

_Oh, okay. So is it still fine that I come?_

**_Yeah, but why do you want to head over here?_**

_My dad is trying to get me to play another Shogi game with him and it's getting a little annoying. I want to escape thinking too hard and relax for a while._

_**Oh. Well you're welcome here anytime.**_

_Thanks, I'll be over in less than an hour._

_**Alright.**_

Sakura pushed her laptop aside and rested her chin on her upraised hand. She stared blankly at the wall before her, thinking thoroughly about how she should welcome Shikamaru to her home without having the old hag embarrass her in any way. Knowing the man's habit of performing devious tactics, she must at all cost avoid his trickery. For sure, she must not allow him to answer the door under any circumstances.

That would give Shikamaru the wrong impression.

For the next thirty minutes, she rested in her bed, her mind overflowing with odd thoughts. Finally, she heard the doorbell ring. Immediately, she scampered out of her bedroom and rushed down the stairs yelling, "I got it! I got it!" She hoped she was loud enough for Kakashi to hear.

A few moments later, she stopped dead in front of the entrance and sucked in a huge breath. After checking her surroundings a couple more times, she slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Shikamaru stood casually behind it, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his basketball shorts. He wore a white plaid shirt and his hair was tied up, as usual. His eyes were lazily looking at her and his lips slanted in growing impatience.

"Hey," she greeted silently.

"Hi," he said meekly. He scratched the side of his head with his finger. "You look exhausted, almost like you ran a marathon."

"I'm fine," she assured with exasperation. "Come in quickly."

She really wanted him to enter and go to her room before he ran into Kakashi. It would be too much of an awkward situation and she just cannot handle another of those.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" he questioned quite loudly.

"Shush!" she hissed, leaning further in. "Just get in before he sees you—"

"Sees who?"

Sakura felt her spine shake as she felt two crossed arms settle on top of her head. She cursed silently as she heard the cool, calm breaths of the cursed man she almost despised.

"Ka-Kakashi?" sputtered Shikamaru, his eyes meeting the mismatched ones creeping above Sakura.

"Yo," smiled Kakashi.

"Sakura, why is he here?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and pried the man's arms off her head, then gently pushed him back. Looking over her shoulder, she grunted, "It's a long story, but just come on in already."

Blinking confusingly, Shikamaru entered.

"You should ask me if it's okay to have somebody over before inviting them, Sakura," murmured Kakashi as he closed the front door.

She stuck her tongue out at him, "You're not my father."

"But I am your temporary guardian."

"Temporary," she emphasized ignorantly.

"Guardian?" gawked Shikamaru, puzzled from all this commotion. "What the fuck?"

Kakashi ruffled Shikamaru's hair, messing it up. "Tone down the cursing a bit, Shikamaru," he said silently, "If you guys need me, I'll be in the kitchen finishing setting up your meals. Good thing I made enough for the three of us."

Sakura's lips parted. "You cooked? I thought I told you I'm not hungry!"

"Don't lie to yourself," he said as he entered the kitchen.

Infuriated, she seated herself on the couch and crossed her arms. Shikamaru hesitatingly sat down beside her, almost too afraid to ask her about this odd conflict.

"Damn him. Why does he have to be my babysitter?" she mumbled to herself angrily.

"How did this all happen?" wondered Shikamaru.

She sighed heavily. "My mom and dad were very worried about me for the past few months and they can't trust me staying here alone with anyone else but Kakashi."

"Well, no one else cares that deeply about you like he does, not including your parents," he commented.

Her cheeks reddened slightly. "Yeah, but that's not the problem. The problem is that we haven't spoken to each other for so long that it has become awkward! We were so distant and far…Our friendship was severed as well. I don't even know if I can trust him anymore."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. Not after he broke me," she murmured.

"It seems as if he's trying to mend those wounds though, Sakura."

"I don't care. I can't forgive him for bringing me so much pain, even if he never meant for that to happen."

Shikamaru, surprised with her response, glared at her straight in the eyes. "So you have no feelings toward him, whatsoever?"

Sakura swallowed. Hard. "None at all. I never did and I don't think I ever will."

"Sakura…" Shikamaru stared at the floor, eyes growing dull of their brightness. "You've dropped so low. What happened to the Sakura I knew?"

"I've always been like this," she denied.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

Kakashi's heart sank into his stomach as he eavesdropped the two teenagers conversing with each other. As he listened further into their conversation, his self-esteem just dropped even lower than before.

"So you have no feelings toward him, whatsoever?" he heard Shikamaru ask, the dryness clear in his voice.

"None at all. I never did and I don't think I ever will."

Unable to take listening to her say such sour things, he stopped eavesdropping and assembled the last of the dining plates on the table. He thought in rage and sorrow about the many times he helped Sakura out with dear care, and this was what he got in return - a selfless, stubborn attitude.

Not to mention how much her words hurt him.

A few minutes later, he heard them walk into the kitchen.

"Um, this is breakfast?" gasped Sakura.

He noticed the shock on their faces when they saw the delightful Japanese arrangement of shiratama anmitsu, grilled mackerel with bean paste, and a bowl of steamed rice in the middle.

"Let's call it brunch," he suggested nonchalantly, still slightly frustrated.

"Wow, I didn't know you specialized in making Japanese meals," said Shikamaru as he quickly claimed his seat.

"These were my father's favorites. He taught me how to cook these at a young age," explained the silver-haired man as he seated himself in between Sakura and Shikamaru. "I hope you guys like my cooking."

"I think I'm already enjoying it," smiled Sakura as she took her portion.

Kakashi grinned slightly. It was her first kind comment toward him today. How sweet.

"What are you grinning about?" she suddenly asked, lips twitching.

"You finally said something nice to me."

"Hmpf, it's not like you're going to get any more sweet comments from me," she mumbled with rosy cheeks.

"I doubt that," he chuckled.

Stuffing her mouth with food, she growled, "Just shut up and eat your food."

"Whatever you say."

Shikamaru glanced at the two, cheeks plump with food. Though Sakura said felt no affection for this man, it still seemed as if they would become amazing friends again in the near future. He could already notice the teasing competition rising between them.

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><p><em><strong>Reviews Are Appreciated!<strong>_


	17. Resolving Our Problems

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does!

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><p><em><strong>For You<strong>_

_**Chapter 17: Resolving Our Problems**_

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><p>Nightfall overcame the daylight as the evening came around. It was drizzling outside and the tapping on the windows were never-ending. Shikamaru left quarter to seven, so now it was just Kakashi and Sakura.<p>

They were both sitting next to each other, side by side, on the couch watching a late-night horror show on the television. Sakura was wrapped in her blanket that she brought down with her from her bedroom. She was hugging her knees, her chin tucked in between them. While she sat still, shivering slightly from the cold weather, Kakashi simply watched the show with little interest. One arm extended behind Sakura, only touching the back of her neck a little, while the other lay by his side.

He knew the girl was irritated about his arm laid out behind her, but he also knew that she was too exhausted to make any comments. Apparently, at this time of the day she ran out of steam.

Suddenly, she jumped in her seat, averting his attention toward her. At first, he was puzzled by her unusual action. Then when he realized that the main character in the movie was being chopped up by the murderous killer, he knew why she would do such a thing.

Chuckling silently, he said, "Are you scared?"

She brought the blanket up and covered half of her face to hide her reddening cheeks. "O-Of course not."

Shaking his head, he took hold of the remote and switched the channel to comedy. "If you know you're going to get nightmares, just say so. No need to hide your fear from me," he smiled mockingly.

"Whatever," she mumbled as she sank further back into the couch.

Thirty minutes passed after their short conversation. He felt her lean against him slightly, indicating that she was growing weary and tired. He couldn't blame her. It was a long day and even he was feeling the same way.

Finally, when a full hour had passed, Sakura was out and done. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her eyes were closed shut. He had tried shouldering her a little in hopes of waking her up, but she sat perfectly still. She slept like a baby - a very tired one.

Giving up, he turned the T.V. off and stood up, causing her to fall to her side. Sighing heavily, he hooked one arm through her armpit and hoisted the bottom half of her body up with the other. Cradling her close to his chest, he carefully climbed the stairs.

When he reached her bedroom door, he found it slightly open so he quietly kicked it to widen the entrance. He delicately placed her in her bed, tucking her in with the blanket she was wrapped in. He gazed at her in awe as the faint moonlight illuminated her face.

He bent over her and tucked her bangs behind her ear. Brushing his fingers lightly against her cheekbone, he leaned in and placed a chastise kiss on her forehead. Whispering, "Goodnight," he exited her bedroom to go to his own, unaware that Sakura had awoken and witnessed his gentle affection.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Kakashi immediately sat up as a loud, thunderous boom shattered his eardrums. Rubbing his eyes drowsily, he listened to the noisy pattering of the rain hitting the window beside him. He glanced at the clock and realized it was six in the morning.

Sighing, he jumped out of his bed and strode over to the window. Slowly, he pulled the draped curtains apart and to his amazement, the backyard was filled with approximately three inches of rain. He shook his head, knowing that the large amount of rainfall would drown the Harunos' beautiful garden.

Feeling a headache forming, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

He was beginning to get worried, for how on Earth would Sakura get to school in this kind of ferocious weather? More importantly, how would _he_ get to school for his career as a teacher? It seemed awfully too stormy to drive to the academy, and driving would be a bad idea due to slippery roads.

Assuming that he should call the head of the office, he dialed Tsunade's number. He hoped that she would be awake by now, but to his misfortune, she did not answer his call. He tried a couple more times and there was still no luck.

Turning to his second best option, he dialed Asuma. He would know whether to go to the academy or not because he was always highly involved in the district's and office's business.

"_Kakashi, why the fuck are you calling at six in the morning? You know I'm not one of those early birds!"_

Kakashi winced as Asuma's yelling blasted into his ear. "Well, I just called because there is a huge storm. Haven't you noticed the loud noises and lightning outside, or are you just plain deaf?"

Asuma grew silent on the other end of the line and all Kakashi could hear was the 'tap tap tap' of the rain in the back.

_"Oh."_

Kakashi chuckled softly as he scratched the back of his head. "I assume it's too rainy and flooded to go to the academy, am I correct?

_"Well I'm looking out the window and all I see is water. Um, yeah. I suppose we can call this day off. I'll speak to the district about this issue. I will call you back after I get a hold of them."_

"Very well."

He ended the call with a press of the button and placed his cell phone back on the night stand. He stood still for a few moments, and after a few minutes he suddenly shuddered when a cold breeze hit his bare skin. It was then when he realized he was only wearing a plain black T-shirt and a pair of plaid boxers.

He mentally slapped himself as a punishment for letting his odd habits overcome him.

Still slightly exhausted, he searched in his sports bag for basketball shorts. When he found one, he slipped into it, not minding that it was hanging loosely from his waist. 'Sagging,' was what kids called it nowadays.

Careful to not wake the sleeping girl in the bedroom next door, he silently walked out, almost tiptoed, and traveled down the flight of stairs. Once he reached the bottom, he took a quick glance of the very top. He sighed in relief once he knew that he did not wake her, then strode into the kitchen for a quick morning snack.

While scouring the fridge for something to eat, he thought to himself about the first day of being with Sakura. He could say that it didn't exactly go the way he thought it would. He assumed that the conversations between her and him would be a little lighter, more calmer, and less frustrating. Unfortunately, it was the total opposite.

Constant insults, rude ignorance, shitty attitude — boy, she had made that day a crappy one. In the end, however, it wasn't as bad. It turned out that she always grows tired toward the end of the day, making his life much, much easier. She was more lax and calm, although he knew that deep down within her she was mentally snapping at him.

He recalled how unexpected last night turned out to be. He never knew Sakura was sensitive when it came to horror movies and he never knew how easy it was for her to fall asleep. Like they said, people learn new things every single day.

Finally, he discovered a new container of cream cheese in the back of the shelf. He pulled it out and placed it on the counter. He hoped that there were also bagels stored somewhere in the pantry as he began looking there, and much to his appeal, he found a bag full of them.

Humming quietly in delight, he prepared himself a quick bagel with cream cheese spread on top. Once he took his first bite, the sweet and sour taste was showered upon his tongue. As he ate his little snack, he gazed out the fogged-up window that was located in front of the stove — a perfect spot for an opening to scenery to be.

He watched in interest as the rain dropped into the shallow river that traveled through and along the street. He could see the plants in the front yard suffering from too much water. Their leaves were droopy and the harsh wind of the storm was ripping the tiny petals off of the flowers.

It was amazing to see such a storm. It hadn't rained so harshly for so long — almost three years. Usually, in the city of Konoha, the sky was clear and had only the soft, white innocent clouds. When it was a bit gloomy, there would only be a small cold breeze and maybe a few hours of rain.

"You can't sleep either?"

Kakashi looked over his shoulder and found Sakura standing in the doorway, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hand. She was still wearing the same pajamas like she wore yesterday — black sweat pants and a blue T-shirt that seemed a bit too big for her. Although she was a total mess, she looked a little cute with her hair disheveled and messy.

"I swear…I thought you were still sleeping," he muttered. "Was I the one that woke you up, or was it the thunderous storm?"

"The thunderous storm," she answered drowsily.

She walked up to him and peeked over his shoulder. She scrunched her nose and grumbled, "Wow, you didn't even bother to make me one? What a great guardian you are."

He shrugged as he took a final bite of his bagel, "Well I didn't know that you would be awake so early in the morning. Besides, I could always whip up another just for you."

He watched her as she seated herself in front of the small kitchen table. "Sounds good," she yawned.

"What? No thank you?" he asked with a small smile as he started making her snack.

"Ugh, it's six thirty in the morning. Can't you just give me a break?"

"…No."

Sakura eyed him angrily as she frowned. "Ha ha. Very funny."

"I know, I'm hilarious aren't I?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes and waited patiently for him to finish making her snack. It was only two minutes before he delicately handed her bagel.

"A freshly bagel spread nicely with cream cheese, made specially with love and care for the young lady," he grinned, winking at her as she took a bite.

Sakura's face reddened. "Just…j-just shut it!" she stammered.

He chuckled silently to himself and allowed her to finish her food.

When she did finish it, she began, "So are we heading over to the academy today?"

"Nope," he replied bluntly as he stared out the window again. "Too much rain equals trouble."

Sakura nodded, "Oh yeah. I almost forgot about the storm."

"Anyways, there is a chance school will be cancelled tomorrow as well. It depends how badly the flooding is in the streets. If there's too much rainfall tonight, chances are that we're not going anywhere until Thursday," explained Kakashi.

"Oh," she breathed. "Man, I'd hate to say it but I'm going to be bored without school."

"And then after these days off, you go to school again for two more days before a long week of spring break. Boy, it looks like you're going to be suffering for a long time."

Her eyebrows bunched. "Oh, thanks for making me feel better."

He laughed embarrassingly, scratching the back of his head at the same time. "Sorry, I thought I'd just like to point that out for you."

"Well I'm not going to be completely bored since you're here. At least you'll lighten up the mood a little," she murmured with distaste.

Noticing the bitterness in her tone, he frowned. There goes another round of her stupid, stubborn attitude. He hated it so much — absolutely despised it. It irritated and pained him to see her refuse his humanly presence, but he made a promise. He promised to never let her down and he promised himself that he will earn her trust.

"Are you okay?" Sakura suddenly questioned, stepping closer to him.

Kakashi locked his gaze with hers. He stared into her glistening, emerald eyes for a long time, trying to decipher the emotions behind that thick wall she put up in between them. Finally, just then, he swore he thought he saw worry within her expression — a small mixture of doubt, worry, and curiosity. Nonetheless, he knew that she cared about him. Her care was neither big or small, but whatever the size, she still cared for him and that was all that mattered to him.

Smiling, he reached over and ruffled the top of her head, surprising the young girl. "I'm feeling great. I was just recalling a promise I made to myself."

"And that promise is?" she wondered curiously, removing his hand from her hair.

The silver-haired man chuckled huskily and leaned forward. He noticed that she stiffened once he crossed the border of the distance set between them, but he cared nothing about that.

Pinching her cheek as if a mother would do to her child when she thought he or she was adorable, he grinned, "I promised myself that I will earn your trust no matter what, so that we can become friends again."

When he left, she rubbed her rosy cheek with an almost disgusted expression. She found it annoying that he would treat her like a little baby, but what shocked her most was when he confessed that he wanted to tie their binds back together and become friends.

Sighing, she rested her elbow against the counter. Thoughts of him continuously ran through her mind over and over again. He was willing to jump any obstacle and earn her trust. That meant something — something important.

The real question was…should she cooperate?

Sakura allowed her eyes to close shut, then sucked in a deep breath. That man was a man of mysteries. Though he obtained an odd yet enjoyable personality, she appreciated him for helping her go through hard times back then. He was committed to their friendship, but unlike him, she wasn't.

She was acting too stubborn and selfless to realize how much he wanted to mend their ties back together again. What he told her a couple of minutes ago was sincere, and this time she recognized it.

She opened her weary eyes and gazed at the floor.

He cared about her all this time and she never bothered to notice.

How bitter of her.

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

_****_She didn't see him for the rest of the day. He locked himself in his bedroom for hours, not minding that she was all alone. When he did exit the room to make her something to eat, he didn't talk to her at all. She wanted to start a conversation, but the awkward aura he was releasing into the atmosphere made it hard to do so.

When darkness consumed the light and the moon took the place of the sun, she finally decided that she would do something about this unusual situation.

Sakura waited outside of his bedroom door, wondering how she should enter and what she should say when she would. Minutes later, she hesitatingly knocked on the door and opened it, only to find him sitting cross-legged on his bed.

Kakashi was reading his so-called romance novel, or porn as she liked to call it. He seemed to notice her presence, but he made no movement whatsoever to greet her. She knew he wanted to escape the problems for today and solve it tomorrow, but she wanted to solve them now.

Silently, the pink-haired student strode toward the bed and took her seat beside him.

"It's been a long day, huh?" she quietly murmured, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Quite a long day," he replied calmly, turning a page. "The rain has been going on and on for hours."

"Mm," she hummed. "I have a feeling it's not going to stop for a while."

"So do I, so do I."

She eyed him for a short moment. He was still reading the book, but she knew he was giving her his full attention.

"Listen…I'm sorry for…everything," she muttered, scratching the back of her head with discomfort.

She looked up at him, wondering why he wasn't responding.

"I'm listening," he finally stated as he turned another page in his book.

Nodding, she continued, "I'm sorry for…everything I did to you. I made you feel bad and acted extremely ignorant toward you when you tried having a little fun."

"Well," he began with a breath, "I can't do anything if you don't like me. If you don't like me, then you don't like me. I'm just doing my job — I have to watch over you and make sure you don't bore the hell out of yourself."

"It's not that I don't like you. I mean…I _do_ like you but…" Her voice trailed off into a whisper after being unable to find the correct words to explain how she felt.

His coal and crimson eyes drifted from his novel to her paling face with sudden interest.

"I-I'm just apologizing for hurting you a lot. I didn't realize how stupid I was acting toward you until now," she sighed, "I didn't realize how much you wanted this…"

"Wanted _what_ exactly?" He closed his Make-Out Violence and stared at her icily, his silver hair falling in front of his forehead.

She started playing with her fingers again. "…How much you wanted us to be friends again."

"Everyone wants something, Sakura, but not everyone gets what they want. I understand that philosophy now."

"But you want this badly…don't you?"

He ran his fingers through his silky hair, "I just try to fix the things I've done wrong."

"So you do want to be friends again?" she wondered silently.

He leaned in a little closer and his strong pinewood scent grew stronger. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me."

Silence.

"Is that so?"

"All I ever wanted was a happy life, and you gave that to me. You gave me great friends, a lovely life, and something to look forward to every single day," he whispered, moving an inch closer.

She shuddered as he released a moist breath onto her and allowed her gaze to drift to her lap. "W-Well…you gave me the same gift."

"I try to be nice," he murmured.

Suddenly, he lifted her chin with her fingers and searched her eyes for signs of emotion.

"What exactly are you trying to compromise here?" he asked, getting back to the main point.

She bit her lip as she looked at him, "I-I'm fulfilling your promise."

"My promise?" sputtered Kakashi, immediately releasing her from his grasp.

His specs grew wide as she embraced him tightly, her head resting on his shoulder.

Sakura smiled sadly and whispered, "You told me you promised yourself that you would earn my trust no matter what happens to you. You made me realize how much of a jerk I've been. I'm sorry for everything I've done. From this point on, you have my sincere trust."

For a moment, he was absolutely shocked, but as he eased into her comfort he responded by hesitatingly wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you," he said silently.


	18. First Steps

_**A/N:**_ Hi. So...unfortunately I have influenza. Yeah, horrible news I know. It sucks for me though because I'm probably going to spend this whole spring break sick =.= Ahh, I'm literally suffering just writing this author's note to you guys. No...I'm going to suffer as I try to write this whole chapter for you guys. I love you all, so I'm going to force myself to finish this damn chapter and ignore all of these stupid headaches. You're probably thinking I'm crazy right now, but writing is the only thing that doesn't hurt me severely right now.

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 18: First Steps_**

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><p>The continuous pattering of rain brought Kakashi out of his deep slumber and he sat up slowly, a faint beam of sunlight shining against his groggy eyes. He tiredly glanced at the clock, the green numbers flashing every now and then. It was eight in the morning, which brought much surprise to him. He would usually never wake up this early. He would always get a late start in the day.<p>

He lifted his legs and tossed them down the side of the mattress. He sat on the edge of his bed for a few moments, gathering as much energy as he can before he started walking around. When he felt energized, he rose to his feet and strode to the door that led to the bathroom.

He opened and closed it silently in case Sakura was still sleeping soundly next door, then stripped himself clean of his clothes. One by one, each article of clothing dropped to the tiled flooring with a soft thud. When he was completely nude, the cold air met his bare skin, bringing chills up and down his spine.

Before stepping into the shower, he checked the towel rack to see if there was a towel. There was one hanging off the rack, so he entered the shower, sliding the mirror door behind him closed. He stepped under the shower head and switched the faucet on.

Cold water immediately met his head and he nearly groaned after making contact with the chilling liquid, but when it warmed his skin was embraced by a nice heated fog. He squeezed some shampoo onto the palm of his hand and spread it throughout his silky hair. Bubbles formed and slid down the sides of his cheeks, causing a tingly sensation.

Sighing in deep relief, he shut the water off. His hand reached for the handle of the mirror door and he gripped onto it, pulling it to the left so that it would slide open. Carefully, he exited the shower and his wet feet met the furry linen of the carpet matted below him. He sucked in a breath and snatched the towel from the towel rack.

After running it through his hair to dry it off, he threw it around his waist and left the bathroom. Once again, the cold air attacked his skin, giving him another set of goosebumps. The silver-haired man slowly strode toward his sports bag and scavenged for new clothing.

He eventually discovered a new pair of plaid boxers and white basketball shorts. He slipped into them with ease then pulled a dark blue T-shirt over his head.

When he finished dressing himself up, he took a quick look out the window. It was still drizzling and flooded outside, though it was not as worse as yesterday. The weather seemed to be lightening up a bit, which was a good thing. Now he knew that he would not need to suffer for another day listening to the tapping of the raindrops.

Silently, he exited his bedroom and strode down the stairs. When he hit the last step, a warming aroma struck his nostrils and he found himself attracted to the mouth watering scent. Curiously, he popped into the kitchen and spotted a used frying pan in the sink. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw a flash of pink disappear into the dining room.

He quickly headed over into the dining room and his eyes immediately met a nice arrangement of breakfast. There were pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and a carton of juice in the middle. After hungrily scanning the meal, his cold gaze met the warm one of the young Sakura.

"You made breakfast?" Kakashi managed to sputter.

"Mh-hmm," she hummed with a simple nod. "You were able to put up with my shitty attitude for the past few days, so I figured that I would be able to put up with making breakfast this morning."

"I think only an apology is fine, Sakura. You didn't have to go through the trouble to whip something up for the two of us," he said, uneasiness obvious in his voice.

"It wasn't trouble," she insisted with a shrug.

"It must have been troubling to make all of this," he stated, gesturing toward the finely made meal. He stared at the food, folding his arms in front of his chest. He sighed, "You've already given me too much…"

Sakura stared at him, her emerald eyes glimmering oddly. She took her seat and started eating as if nothing awkward had occurred.

He blinked twice in confusion, watching her as she ate with simplicity. He slowly seated himself beside her, eyeing her as she stuffed her mouth with a piece of syrupy pancake. He directed his attention to his own empty plate, then at the reserved meal sitting before him. Finally, he took a small portion of each food and started eating as well.

They ate slowly in silence, neither bothering to speak. She didn't know how to start a conversation and he was busy pondering about what he should say to start one.

At last, Kakashi began, "I never got the chance to find out who's your new English teacher." He glanced at the girl, noticing her plump cheeks that were full of food. He couldn't help noting the tint of red on them. "I know you have Anko for P.E. now, much to my displeasure," he murmured with distaste.

Sakura looked at him, puzzled by his statement. "You don't like Anko? I thought you two were friends."

"Nope," he replied bitterly. "We used to be a couple back in high school, but all she ever wanted was to have sex. She was a total bitch though anyways. Never wanted to do anything nice for a change."

"…You had sex with her?" The girl glared at him with hardened eyes, her cheeks growing rosier.

"Only once," he shrugged blandly. "She wasn't that much of a please, I have to say."

"Y-You don't need to tell me all of this!" she squealed, pushing her plate back to emphasize the loss of her appetite. "That is disgusting! Most utterly horrid!"

"Ha, wait till you're older. You'll practically be begging for it once you've had a taste."

"P-Pervert! You disgusting pervert!" she yelled, pointing her finger at him.

"Just joking around with you. Gee, Pinky." He ruffled her hair, smiling, and said, "I would never have sex with Anko anyways, and I would most definitely not date her. She's too desperate and is not my type."

Sakura folded her hands on the table and eyed him with a frown forming on her face. "You have a type? Considering it's you, I thought you would just pick a female out of the crowd and play around with her."

"I'm not a player, Sakura," explained Kakashi, tapping the side of her arm. "I don't 'play' with girls and I don't fish them out of the crowd. I've never really had a strong committed feeling toward anyone for a long time anyways…well, at least not until now."

"Oh really?" Sakura leaned in closer, excitement playing on her features. "Who do you have a crush on, Kakashi?"

He leaned in as well, making it that their foreheads were nearly making contact. His mismatched eyes gleamed in that odd seductive way, making her insides churn. Grinning and holding a finger against his lips, he whispered, "It's a secret."

Disappointment crossed her face and she slumped back in her chair. Kakashi laughed at her actions, finding it amusing to tease and push her buttons.

"So, who's your English teacher?" he continued, getting back to the point.

"Aoba," she answered blandly. "He's not that bad. He's a good teacher, but he doesn't have the great humor that you obtain. He gets really boring sometimes."

"Aw, I have great humor? That touches my heart," he said oh-so-sweetly.

She felt her stomach burn and melt at the sight of his precious smile. He had a smile so heartwarming that it could make any girl squeal in delight. He was a man of many different talents, most of them he never knew about.

"How about you? How is the old English class?" asked Sakura.

Kakashi pondered for a couple of seconds. "It's…different."

"Oh."

"Mm," he hummed silently. "Everyone misses you and they all want you back sitting in that classroom. Naruto even tried convincing Tsunade to switch you back the other day, but Tsunade gave him detention in return. I'm having a hard time believing it, but Naruto said that she was near to changing her mind."

"Wow. Everyone misses me, huh…"

"Now, I'll be honest. I missed you a lot too."

Sakura eyed him with interest. "Oh, really?"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. "I told you I was going to be honest, didn't I?"

"Well…I missed you too, Kakashi," she breathed, her face lightening up.

He gazed into her emerald eyes, his onyx and crimson ones clouded in mystery. "And we take our first steps into our budding friendship…"

"Indeed, and shall it bud."

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><p><strong><em><span>AN:_**I am so sorry about the short chapter, but I ran short of ideas here. I'm just going to continue it all in the next for-sure-longer chapter. This influenza is killing my Rainbow of Imagination. Yes, I have that.

**_Reviews are Appreciated_**


	19. Sexual Tension

_**A/N:**_ Good news! I am better and so is my Rainbow of Imagination! Hooray! And more good news! The sexual tension between Kakashi and Sakura increase. Read to see what happens…

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does

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><p><em><strong>For You<strong>_

_**Chapter 19: Sexual Tension**_

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><p>Sakura skipped into the living room and seated herself on the carpeted floor, her legs extending out in front of her. She had just finished washing the dishes with Kakashi. She wanted to wash them by herself because she wanted to treat him and make him feel better after giving him shitty attitude for the past few days. Unfortunately for her, he insisted on assisting her so she finally let him.<p>

It was an unusual period of dish washing, she must say. She was bored while scrubbing the plates down with soap, so she decided that she would 'accidentally' spray water at him. It got all over his shirt and face. She had to admit, it was hilarious. He was laughing as well, but in the end, he was serious about his drenched top and scolded her for doing such things.

Despite the scold, she enjoyed that moment. She had forgotten how fun it was to be around Kakashi. He always lightened up the mood, even when he acted like a lazy-ass man.

She heard the shuffling of feet and allowed her gaze to drift to the doorway of the kitchen. Her eyes grew wide as soon as they met the nicely-toned chest of the mentioned man. Kakashi had taken off his moist shirt and it was hanging from his broad right shoulder.

He looked amazingly fit and young. The sight of him with his bare chest just made her insides melt and sent a warm feeling in between her legs.

She shifted slightly in her position, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. Though it was extremely awkward seeing her former teacher half bare in her living room, she wanted him to stay like that. She wondered how it would feel to have that body pressed against her, his irresistible scent intoxicating her lungs.

Realizing what she had just been thinking of, she mentally cursed herself. She must not allow such thoughts to run through her mind. It was all too wrong.

"Well," he began, "I had to take my shirt off because it was completely soaked with water." He glared at her expectantly, waiting for her to make any sort of comment.

She cleared her throat and tried hiding the blush that was creeping onto her face. "Hey, it's not my fault! I got bored," she protested silently, lowering her head to avoid his gaze.

She heard him snort. "Anyways, you're going to have to put up with me being like this for the next few hours because the rest of my clothing are in the dryer. I'm just going to have to wait for this shirt to dry off enough, then I'll be fully clothed once again," he explained.

Sakura sat still, not believing what she was hearing.

Kakashi, taking notice to her shock, smiled devilishly and strode toward her. He bent over her, his coal and crimson eyes searching for her emerald ones. Finally, when she looked up, he whispered huskily, "Is that going to be a problem, Sakura-_chan_?"

Sakura's stomach was set aflutter at the sound of his tone. His hoarse voice made her tingle with excitement and the rasp just made it much more sexier.

"O-Of course not, Kakashi," she assured with a fake grin.

The pink-haired girl tried looking away, but his alluring stare made it hard for her to do so.

"You can run, Sakura, but you can't hide from me."

Her lips parted to say something in return, but he had disappeared in a flash. She glanced around and found him sitting casually on her love seat, his arm resting behind him. She blinked twice in confusion. Had she been hallucinating or had he really said that?

Either way, she knew she was going to be blushing around him for the rest of the day.

"Do you wanna play twenty one questions?"

Her mind slowly processed that.

"Er, what?" She turned around and crossed her legs. She looked at Kakashi with a puzzled expression.

He repeated, "Do you want to play twenty one questions?"

A frown crossed her face. "Why?"

"To test how well we know each other…to get to know each other more…to pass time?"

"Um…no. I don't like questions, especially when I'm the one that has to answer them," she murmured, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Well you're no fun," he sighed, leaning further back into his seat.

Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly, then glared at the television located to the right of her. Spotting her old ps3 lying on one of the shelfs next to the television, she smiled. She forgot about that game system. She used to play it constantly back in Suna when she was a junior in high school. She always played gun games, especially Black Ops.

She loved playing on the zombies mode. The objective was to kill zombies and try to survive throughout the rounds. As the player progressed in levels, the difficulty became harder and harder. Along the way, power-ups were also available, but not all the time.

A brilliant idea suddenly sprung into her head.

"Hey, Kakashi?" she called his name.

He lazily averted his attention to her, his scarred eye sliding closed. He hummed in response to her call and awaited for her continuation.

"Are you up for zombies?" she questioned, pointing at her game system.

Shrugging, he said, "Um, zombies?"

"It's a mode on Black Ops. It's really fun," she persuaded with a slight grin. "I can set up my ps3 so that we would be able to play."

"Black Ops? Isn't that one of those gun games like Modern Warfare?" he wondered, eyebrows creased.

Sakura nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, it sounds interesting so…sure guess I'll give it a try."

"Great!" she whistled as she started setting the game system up. After a few moments, a thought came to her and she paused her actions. "Wait…do you even know how to play?"

Kakashi's eyebrow skyrocketed. "Of course. Why else would I mention Modern Warfare?"

Sakura stared at him blankly, shock consuming her facial expression. "You actually play?"

He put on a smug smirk. "I'm not _that_ old, kid."

"I know that!" she retorted. "I just didn't think that you would play games like this. You seem too sophisticated for these kind of gorish entertainment."

"I wouldn't call myself sophisticated," he murmured, scratching his chin, "but you're right. It's not often that people find me gorging off of these things. I'm usually not into videogames, especially the extremely violent ones, but every once in a while I play."

"I'd expect that out of you."

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

"…Nothing of particular."

Sakura eyed him momentarily, then continued to fix up the system. Finally, it was completely ready so she started booting it up. She found her special blue remote controller and another spare black one. She shot a quick glance at Kakashi, only to find him glaring intently in her direction.

She couldn't help but to let her gaze drift to his muscular abs again. She had to admit, he was awfully too attractive and his good looks mesmerized her. She wished he would pull his shirt over his head to shield his beauty from her, but knowing that she indeed had soaked him a lot, that would not happen for a while.

Sighing heavily, she tossed him the second controller without any warning. Observing him carefully, she saw that he caught it easily with one hand. She directed her attention back at the T.V. screen and started selecting options. She bit her lip as another string of thoughts full of Kakashi ran through her mind.

"Sakura…"

Hearing her name being called, she gazed at him with questioning eyes.

Kakashi stared at her with his single, dark eye. "Are you alright? You suddenly became quiet."

The pink-haired girl fidgeted with her fingers nervously. She could not, no matter how much he bothered her, allow him to find out that he was the one discomforting her. She did not want him to know that she found him attractive. It was already far too embarrassing to be caught staring, but having her intentions revealed would kill her self-confidence.

Forcing a smile upon herself, she replied, "I'm fine." She looked back at the screen and started the game of zombies. As the first round began, she heard Kakashi settle down beside her with a muffled grunt. Though she knew he was still unconvinced, she chose not to pay attention to that detail.

The two played the video game in complete silence, only the sound of bullets and zombie's groaning filling the atmosphere. She must say that she was a bit surprised to see him playing so well. He did not seem to have any problems whatsoever.

Every few minutes, they progressed into a new round. The difficulty increased and she became more anxious with every shot of her gun. Finally, when they reached round twenty, it was then when she started yelling at the top of her lungs. Adrenaline shot through her veins every time she came close to dying.

Eyeing the young man beside her, she could see that he was too excited. Every now and then, he would jump slightly in his position or release a grunt out of frustration. It appeared that he was also enjoying this excitement.

Suddenly, Sakura tossed her controller at the couch, anger boiling in her chest. She had fallen minutes ago and he had tried reviving her, but he failed and she died. This meant that she was not able to play until the round ended.

With interest, she watched as Kakashi fled the area with a crowd of zombies trailing after him. He came close to dying a few times, but luckily he managed to escape their grasp.

"Don't die," she murmured absentmindedly, nudging him on the side.

He breathed silently and nodded, "I'll try not to."

He continued to play calmly, but little by little, his calm composure lessened. Soon, he found himself cursing at the television as it flashed red, the words 'Game Over' sliding across the screen.

Sakura, frustrated that they lost and did not set a new record for her leader board, she lashed out on Kakashi. She slapped him across the arm, a pout making way to her face. "I thought I just told you to not die!" she scolded. "Damn it, Kakashi! I could have set a new record if you had only revived me!"

The silver-haired man held his hands up defensively with a mock grin. "Hey, hey. I told you I'd try to not die. Besides, I couldn't revive you with all of those shit-faced zombies surrounding you."

Folding her arms in front of her chest, she grumbled, "You could have tried harder."

"Maybe you should have tried harder."

Her temper snapped. After watching him shortly as he covered his mouth frantically to emphasize the accidental slip of words, she tackled him straight on. She pushed him back against the love seat behind him and she heard him chuckle huskily. Like it was not a problem, he lifted her by the waist and pulled her over. She was rolled onto her back and he pinned her wrists down.

His head hovered merely inches above hers, his mismatched eyes staring darkly down at her. She squirmed and tried resisting him, but he simply tightened his grip on her. She tried avoiding his alluring gaze, but once again she failed and their gazes were immediately locked. Sakura glared at him, a mixture of anger, shock, and need bubbling in the bottom of her stomach.

The heat between them suddenly increased greatly. She watched intently as he licked his lips, not knowing whether it was to moisten his dry lips or if he was hungering for passion. All of a sudden, his knee made its way in between her legs. Her emerald eyes widened as she felt her gut crumble into tiny little pieces. Something tingled around her thighs and she knew it could be nothing but her arousal.

His strong pinewood scent started to intoxicate her lungs and nostrils. She shuddered tremendously after he released a dense breath onto her face. He smelled of fresh leaves…and sweat.

Sakura bit her lip, unsure of what to do. He was hungry…hungry for her. What she saw lying within his mysterious specs was passion, need, and hunger. She was scared, almost frightened. She had never seen Kakashi in such a state. It was almost like he fed off of her fear. He used her fear to make himself feel powerful.

Though he scared her to the point where she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, she enjoyed the heat they shared. As much as she wanted him like he wanted her, unfortunately, she must not perform anything hasty. Her need for him was strong, but this itself was already much too wrong.

Suddenly, he released her and sat on his knees. She propped herself up with her elbows and gazed at him, blinking in confusion. She watched closely as he reached for his white shirt and pulled it over his head. She assumed that it was finally dry.

Running his fingers through his silky, silver hair, Kakashi sighed, "You should be more careful, Sakura. I would have attacked you if you continued tackling me, and that would have been very bad." He glared at her with his single eye, his scarred one sliding closed, then glanced out a nearby window. "You'd better watch out. The crows…their hunger is growing," he whispered enticingly.

And with that having said, he left the living room for his bedroom. Sakura's emerald eyes followed him as he climbed up the flight of stairs, then entered his room. She released a harsh breath and gazed out the window that he had looked out at. She watched as a crow hopped onto the window sill and pecked on the glass. It cawed softly, then fluttered away.

Sakura swallowed. Hard.

He had given her a warning. Perhaps she should be more careful next time.

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><p><strong><em>Reviews Are Appreciated<em>**


	20. Wet Dreams

**_A/N_****:** Writing and updating these chapters quicker than before because the heat is turning up between Sakura and Kakashi. Still trying to make them longer like the chapters in the beginning. I want to make it more interesting (; And THANK YOU for all of your reviews. I appreciate it a bunch!

_**Warning for the young readers out there****: The mature content comes into detail here. Don't read if you are too young for this kind of stuff. Your little mind would be corrupted with dirty images if you do**_** ^_^"**

Disclaimer - I unfortunately do not own anything from Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p><em><strong>For You<strong>_

_**Chapter 20: Wet Dreams**_

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><p>Kakashi silently shut the door behind him. His back fell against it with a thud and he placed his hand on his forehead. His face was still steaming hot and he could feel his sweat dripping down the side of his cheeks. He had never in his life hungered for so much passion.<p>

He grunted as his cock twitched in his shorts. As Sakura tackled him earlier, she had unknowingly let her hands roam over his chest, her elbow brushing against his manhood. He couldn't help but to pin her down and stop her nonsense. Unfortunately for him, his wants and needs got the best of him and he allowed his knee to squeeze in between her legs.

It was a nightmare just trying to fight off his hunger for her. Her sweet cherry scent had intoxicated him. He had never smelled a feminine scent like hers so strong. It only made his need for her bigger.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, allowing his eyes to slide closed. He couldn't see how Sakura looked down upon herself. Not only she had a wonderful personality, but she had the beauty too. The curves and shape — she had them all. He was unable to keep his gaze off of her. He was practically drooling over her. He must admit, the young girl was extremely gorgeous.

The way she looked at him from beneath her thick lashes mesmerized him and he found it attractive when her hair was in a messy bunch. It made her look much more sexier.

The silver-haired man groaned as he felt himself harden at the thought of her breasts being pressed against his chest. The images of having hot, pleasurable sex with Sakura filled his mind. He could already hear her moaning his name as they reach their climax. He could already see her bouncing off his length, her cries getting louder and louder with each second. He tried imagining her expression when they finished. Flushed cheeks, glimmering eyes, and perhaps a smile of satisfaction.

Kakashi shook his head and cursed himself for fantasizing such explicit things. It was wrong, all too wrong. Having a close, friendly relationship with her was already enough. Crossing and blurring those borders he placed between themselves would ruin their friendship, as well as their reputation. He would be known as Konoha's biggest man whore and she would be known as Konoha's biggest slut. He definitely did not want that. That would be too much trouble for him to handle.

However, the young girl was legal now. If he could remember correctly, her eighteenth birthday was last month on the twenty eighth of March. The word had spread around school and he had overheard Naruto talking about it to Shikamaru in his first period class.

He opened his coal-colored eye and glared at the ceiling. Sakura was no longer a little girl in his eyes, but a woman.

He glanced momentarily at the small lump bulging out on his basketball shorts, then cursed silently. Deciding that he would take another shower to calm his nerves, he strode toward the bathroom door to the right of him and took hold of the knob. He tried opening it, but it wouldn't open. He cursed again, realizing that he had accidentally locked it from the inside during his last shower.

He couldn't go to Sakura and ask her for the key to unlock it. Not now, not when he was in this state. It would be far too embarrassing to let her see his growing erection.

He walked back to the bedroom entrance and opened it quietly. He looked at the bathroom door across the hall — the bathroom that Sakura used. He gulped, debating whether he should use it or not. It was a while before he decided that he would. Snatching the towel from the top of the bed, he entered the other bathroom.

Nothing could possibly go wrong if he took a shower in her bathroom…right?

_**~ X x . . . x X ~**_

Sakura sat still on the carpeted floor, still trying to comprehend what had just happened to her. Ten minutes had passed after her short little mishap with Kakashi. It was completely odd. It was extremely unusual of Kakashi to do such a thing and it was not like him to hungrily scan her body. Something had happened, and that must have been the cause of his extraordinary actions.

She pondered a moment, recalling the intensifying moments they shared. The way he looked after her made her spine tingle and her stomach flutter. She could remember how strongly he had pinned her to the floor and how close he allowed himself to be to her. His face had hovered merely inches above hers. If she wanted to, she could have kissed him right then. She could have smashed her lips against his and allow her arms to snake around his neck to pull him closer.

Her eyes suddenly went wide. It was her. She was definitely the thing that triggered his sudden ambush. She remembered having her hands roam around his body. She never meant for that to happen. She tackled him straight on and she wanted to shove him further back against the chair, but his constant movement made her hands slip. It wasn't supposed to happen. She was simply supposed to attack him, but he had to make things harder for her and now it was her fault that his attitude changed.

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," she growled to herself, pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead. She already had enough problems on her hands, but now this bullshit? First of all, she had a two-page paper to finish for history that was supposed to be due next week. Secondly, she had a script to write for an activity in leadership to complete. Now she had her former teacher in her house who was currently trying to fight off his hunger for her.

Nothing was worse than having a man looking after you with dark, needy eyes. She'd rather put up with Naruto's noisy whining for the rest of her life than stay with Kakashi for another week and a half. She knew now that all she would be doing around that man was blushing and getting aroused. Now that she had a bunch of dirty images of him, there was no escaping it all.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to where the stairs climbed up to. She looked at the wall that enclosed Kakashi's and her bedroom door from sight, wondering if he was okay. When he left her to be alone he almost seemed to be in a hurry, as if he was troubled.

Curiously, she rose to her feet and slowly strode up the stairway. She padded over to his bedroom door and tried the knob. Much to her surprise, it was unlocked and the hinges creaked quietly as she pushed it open. The room was cleaner than the last time she visited. He had finally gotten his clothes from his sports bag to the drawers, though some articles of clothing lay next to his bed. She swore she saw a pair of boxers lying within that pile, but she chose to not mind it.

His familiar scent lingered in the air and by now, she was pretty sure that she had gotten used to the strong aroma. She couldn't resist inhaling it deeply, for it was far past pleasing in her opinion. Her knees weakened slightly and she felt her body tremble at his masculine scent. She shook her head, realizing what she had been doing, and ventured deeper into his bedroom.

"Kakashi," she called out in a whisper, cocking her head from side to side.

With no reply, she called his name out again. She came to a conclusion that he was elsewhere in the house, not that it mattered to her. She traveled to his bed, making note of the disheveled bed sheets. She disliked his untidiness, but it was a part of him that she eventually must accept.

Sakura seated herself on his bed and smoothed out a small area of the sheets, the palm of her hand running across the soft fabric. The tip of her fingers hit something hard beneath them and she lifted the blankets, only to find his Make-Out Tactics resting there.

Daringly, she picked up the novel and held it in her petite hands, observing the front cover. She was never fond of reading smut. She considered it disgusting and perverted, but then again she had never really read porn before.

Biting her lip, she opened the book. She expected seeing a whole naughty paragraph on the first page, but instead she discovered an old, wrinkled photo sitting on top of it. Ignoring the mature content of the book, she stared at the photo with more or less interest.

It contained of Kakashi as a child surrounded by his fellow friends. She figured that the one with the dark, spiky hair was Obito, the boy that committed suicide due to constant bullying. The rest, she recognized. There was Genma, who had unbelievably short hair, and Asuma. It wasn't hard to tell who was who. Their features were all recognizable and she could relate them to how they looked like today.

The pink-haired girl closed the book, deciding that she had enough of searching through his belongings. Though it was an odd place to find a precious item, it was a good hiding spot in her honest opinion.

She sighed and fell back against the mattress. She watched at the fan above her circled continuously, cooling her boiling flesh. She inhaled deeply once again and shuddered as she felt a knot tighten in the pit of her stomach. Her senses were going wild because of his strong, pleasing scent. Her eyesight was even blurring a little.

Visions of Kakashi suddenly ran through her mind. She imagined him hovering above her, completely naked, kissing a trail from her jaw to her collarbone. She swallowed hard as she fantasized him massaging her breasts, his fingers pinching her hardened buds. She nearly whimpered at the vision of him entering her with his large length and squeezed her legs together.

Sakura combed back her hair as she pressed her thighs together again, gasping at the electric shock spreading throughout her. Her hand slowly made its way down to her stomach, her fingers curling around the drawstring of her shorts. Hesitatingly, she allowed them to slide beneath the waistband and into her panties.

Her eyelids clasped together as her index finger met her womanhood. She could not believe how wet she was already, and her arousal was growing with each passing minute. She clenched her jaw as she felt her pearl.

By now, she was shaking violently. She had never in her life masturbated before. She had wanted men and she had wanted to experience sex, but she had never even gave the thought of pleasuring herself to fulfill her needs. Her mother once told her that she would eventually fall into this mature mind trap, but she never expected to fall for it because of Kakashi.

Sakura gritted her teeth and slid the tip of her finger up and down her entrance a couple of times. She continued to do this as she spread her legs farther apart. It was a few more minutes before she gathered enough guts to slide her finger in. Her mouth opened and released a dense breath as her back arched slightly into the air.

An overwhelming feeling suddenly overcame her and she continued sliding her finger in and out of her vagina. With every movement, she felt her need for her release grow stronger. She tossed her head in the other direction as her muscles tightened, feeling the pleasure increase greatly.

Unknowingly, she silently moaned out Kakashi's name. It rang in her ears and surprised her greatly, but she couldn't stop whimpering his name. He had filled her fantasies and there was no getting rid of him.

"S-Sakura?"

In her delusional state, she was not able to tell whether it was her imagination or not, but with ever call of her name it became clearer that she was not imagining it. When she came to her senses, her eyes snapped open and she immediately sat up, removing her hand from the inside of her undergarment.

Ignoring the arousal dripping in between her thighs, she stared wide-eyed at the silver-haired man standing before her with a small towel wrapped around his waist. She felt her cheeks heat up as his mismatched eyes hungrily swept over her trembling body, the knot in her stomach only growing tighter. She had never in her life felt so exposed and embarrassed.

"Ka-Kakashi," Sakura finally managed to sputter, her throat going dry.

Kakashi stood stone still, glaring at her with an undecipherable expression. She knew he had seen everything, and now there was no escaping. She was in deep trouble, indeed.

"What are you doing in here?" he questioned hoarsely. The shock in his voice could not be missed.

"I…I came to see if you were okay and then…" She couldn't find the correct words to say and her voice trailed off into a disoriented whisper. She allowed her gaze to fall to her feet and nervously fidgeted with her fingers. She needed to avoid answering his question in order to avoid all this trouble. "Wh-What are you doing?" she asked accusingly, hardly looking at him in the eye.

He stepped closer, keeping one of his hands on the towel to prevent it from falling. "I was going to take another shower, but then I realized that I accidentally locked my bathroom from the inside," he explained calmly. "I used your bathroom instead, since I didn't want to bother you about unlocking the door." His voice then grew stern. "Now answer my question. What are you doing in here?"

Sakura trembled in fear at the sound of his low growl. She tugged at the collar of her shirt and murmured, "I-I told you already. I came to see if you were okay—"

Kakashi bent over her, his dark shadow looming above her, and took hold of her wrist. He brought her hand near to his face and he carefully observed the tip of her fingers. She bit her lip and directed her attention elsewhere as he suddenly sucked on her index finger.

When he removed his lips from it, she spotted a string of his saliva stretch from her fingers to the corner of his mouth. He looked at her with his mismatched eyes. "Your arousal tastes so sweet. I suppose it wasn't just my imagination," he whispered in a raspy, hushed voice. "You _were_ masturbating…and you _were_ moaning out _my_ name."

She rose to her feet and tried to scurry away from all of this madness, but he violently pushed her back into his bed and pinned her down once again, as of he did before. He crawled on top of her with a hungry gaze, his knee squeezing itself in between her thighs. Her heart quickened its pace as he pressed the side of his face against hers. She could feel and smell his sweat as it dripped onto her heated skin. By now, he had gotten slow close to her that she could even feel his unsteady breathing. Her teeth gritted as he released a moist breath onto her neck.

"Why?" he hissed silently. "Why must you make it so hard for me?" He paused shortly, one of his hands beginning to roam down her arm. "Tell me Sakura," he continued in a gruff manner.

He pressed his lips against her neck, then started kissing a trail down to her collarbone. He chuckled seductively when he felt her twitch beneath him. Her body was aching to be touched by his rough hands and she bet that her panties were already soaked in her arousal.

"Aaah, Ka-Kakashi," she moaned as he sank his teeth into her flesh, "K-Kakashi…please…"

He adjusted himself so that his face would be hovering above hers again. "Please what?"

Sakura felt herself melt into her panties at the sound of his hungry purr. She lowered her emerald eyes down to his waist and found his towel hanging loosely. She swallowed hard and tried resisting the urge to peel it away to see his manhood. She wanted it so badly. She knew that this was wrong and she knew that they would both get in trouble if they were to be caught, but at the moment all she wanted was him to kiss her into oblivion.

"P-Please." She wriggled beneath him as he suddenly kissed the corner of her lips.

"What do you want, Sakura?" he questioned silently. The look on his face told her that his need for her was serious.

She knew she would regret saying these words, but only one thing was on her mind.

"I want you, Kakashi."

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><p><em><strong>Reviews Are Appreciated<strong>_


	21. Mishaps

_**A/N:** _State testing is nearing slowly. Starting to review more with my classes and all of the information is hurting my brain 0_0 I just can't wait till after state testing. Less homework, more fun.

_**Warning: Again, if you are one of those young readers out there, I suggest that you do not read this, unless you want to learn about the sexual ways early xD**_

P.S. Lemonnnn

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own this wonderful world of Naruto. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 21: Mishaps_**

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><p>Kakashi hungrily watched Sakura as she wriggled uncomfortably beneath him, her cheeks tinted red. Her emerald eyes met his mismatched ones momentarily before they drifted down to his waist. He smirked inwardly as she froze at the sight of his towel hanging loosely from his waist. He knew exactly what she wanted, but he wasn't going to give it to her that easily. He wanted to make her plead and plead until she stated what she wanted.<p>

He lowered his face and kissed the corner of her lips. He smiled against her soft, delicate skin as she stiffened. He heard her breathe, "P-Please."

He glared at her, his attraction to her growing by the minute. He inhaled deeply, smelling the strong feminine scent of her arousal. He nearly shuddered at the intoxicating scent. He felt himself harden and his eyebrows bunched, a knot tightening in the pit of his stomach. He needed her badly and he needed her _now._

"What do you want, Sakura?" he questioned silently, looking at her expectantly.

It was then when he finally heard the words he had been awaiting.

"I want you Kakashi."

He had heard hesitation, but he wasn't going to take her hesitation into consideration.

His lips violently smashed against her cherry-colored ones. Her mouth opened in surprise and he took it as a chance to explore her. He allowed his tongue to enter and it danced with hers. The heat between them rose mightily and was extremely intensifying. With each moment passing, he could feel his raging need for her enlarge. He could practically feel his manhood throb and ache for her, but he promised himself that he would take it slow for her and his sake. For her sake so that she does not get hurt, and then for his sake so that he would be able to savor each and every wonderful moment.

He finally released her from his captivity, a thin string of saliva stretching from his mouth to hers, eventually snapping and breaking with the tiny sound of a raindrop. He gazed at her softly as she looked at him from underneath her thick lashes. She looked so disheveled and bedraggled, but at the same time it was all so very sexy.

Kakashi's eyes never left hers as his hands roamed down to the hem of her shirt. He took hold of it and paused, waiting for her approval. He received her message when her petite hands guided his, lifting her shirt and revealing a beautiful, curved body. His arms slowly snaked behind her back, undoing her bra straps next. With a small click, it loosened and he tore it off of her rampantly, tossing it to the side. His dark specs roamed her breasts, taking in the mouthwatering sight.

Sakura suddenly shifted in her position and he averted his attention to her face. He made note of the deepening blush spreading on her cheeks, eventually realizing that it was him who was making her so nervous. Bringing one hand to her face to brush her bangs away from her eyes, he smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Trust me, I'll take it slow." Her expression softened and he knew that she lent him her trust.

He lowered his chin in between her two twin mounds, hoping that she would be able to anticipate what was coming next. When he couldn't wait any longer for any sort of sign, he began playing with her. He pinched her hardened buds in between his fingers, tweaking them and massaging her breasts at the same time. He saw her chewing on her lip, fighting back the moans he had been aching to hear.

"Don't fight it, Sakura," he whispered huskily. "I want to hear you moan and squeal. I want to hear you plead for more. Don't make this harder than it already is." With no reply and the continuation of fighting off the moans, he closed his mouth around one of her pink buds. He almost smiled victoriously when her back arched into the air, her lips parting to gasp. He sucked at her hungrily, worrying it with his teeth, flicking at it with his tongue, making the young girl beg for more in disoriented moans. She buried her hands in his unruly shock of silver hair as he gave the neglected one the same treatment. He repeated the same process, then switched back to the first breast only to torture and tease her all over again. He kept his position between her thighs, his hard cock gently pressing against her womanhood.

He kissed a trail from her chest to her chin, lightly nipping on her heated skin along the way. He paused at her chin and inhaled her scent again. It was getting addicting and he just couldn't get enough of her. He had sex with almost every woman that offered herself to him, but all of them summed up together could not match the height of his current experiencing with Sakura. This time it was different. This time, he was actually attracted to his victim. He usually treated women like a toy. He played with them then tossed them away like trash, but Sakura was not like them. She was different. He did not know why, but she just was. His need for her was not only caused by the usual stupid hormones, but by a mixture of indescribable emotions he held for her.

Kakashi shook himself away from his trance and gazed at her softly. She was patiently waiting and he was glad that she was cooperating. He pressed his lips gently against hers, kissing her with almost too much delicacy. Meanwhile, his strong hands made their way down to her shorts. Still kissing her passionately, he undid the button and slid it down her legs, leaving it hanging on the edge of the mattress. His hands roamed up between her thighs and his fingertips met the soaking wet cloth. The scent of her arousal was even stronger than before and it was making him extremely impatient. Grinning almost deviously, he pressed his thumb against what he assumed was her clit. Her head jerked up in immediate shock and he swallowed her sudden moan with a press of his mouth against hers.

Up and down, he slid his finger against the moistened silk of her underwear. He smiled coyly at her sensitivity to his touches. It was almost too cute. Adorable, in fact.

Holding his head merely inches above Sakura's, he pulled away the undergarment, sliding it down her legs and letting it drop to the carpeted floor with a silent thud. His dark eyes never left hers as he took hold of her wrist, guiding her hand to the towel he knew she had been aching to remove. Her fingers hooked onto the rough fabric and after nodding at her in approval, she peeled it off of his moist, sweaty skin.

When it had gone, her emerald eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly.

Chuckling at her reaction, he whispered into her ear, "What? Is something the matter?"

She simply shook her head, her cheeks flushing incredibly. With her response, he positioned himself at her wet entrance, pausing momentarily. He eyed her, seeing the fear rise within her.

"This will hurt a bit," he murmured silently. "Just bare with me and you'll get through the pain. I promise."

Sakura nodded, her fear slowly subsiding.

Kakashi slid his head up and down her entrance, preparing her for what was about to come. When the time came, he allowed his length to slip inside slowly. He watched the young girl writhe beneath her in pain, her eyes watering. He shushed and cooed her gently as he inched in further. Finally, after going through those everlasting moments, he was sitting completely within her. He waited patiently for her pain to ease, observing her as her pained expression faded away. When he saw the pleasured look on her face, he knew it was time.

He slowly began to rock back and forth, feeling the heat pulsating against him. Her hands slithered up his chest and gripped onto his shoulders, her nails digging deeper and deeper into his flesh as the rhythm between them increased. With every thrust, her moans only grew louder, as well as his groans.

He violently pressed his cheekbone against her neck, his lips ghosting over her collarbone. "Fuck, Sakura. You feel so _good_," he hissed, feeling her walls clench around his manhood. "Moan my name, Sakura. I want to hear how much pleasure I'm bringing you." He thrust himself deeper into her with more force, causing her lips to part to gasp.

"A-Ah, Kakashi," she moaned in between pants, "I'm going to—"

"I know," he panted. "Come for me, Sakura. I want you to come for me." He was sure it came out more like a command than a request, not that it exactly mattered to him.

It was only a few more minutes before her walls tightened around his cock. She had yelled his name loudly as she experienced her first ever sweet release and he had groaned gruffly as he felt her walls collapse around him. He was most certain that the entire neighborhood heard them as they reached their earth-shattering climax.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Sakura woke up, rubbing her eyes groggily as she propped herself up against the headboard. She shuddered at the cold air attacking her bare skin, then tugged the bed sheets over her breasts. She wearily observed her surroundings, eventually realizing that she was in Kakashi's bedroom.

She attempted swinging her legs over the side of the mattress to hop off, but the insides of her thighs ached massively and the pit of her stomach churned uncomfortably. She sat still, legs extending out in front of her, trying to recall the vague events that occurred perhaps not too long ago. She glanced out the open window to find the sun slowly setting, which meant that she was indeed correct.

Suddenly, the memories slowly began flowing back into her mind. Her cheeks reddened at the memory of Kakashi hovering above her completely nude, sweaty, and hungry. She had to admit, it was thrilling to see such a lackadaisical man like him full of raw desire. It had almost amused her to see his cool composure so disoriented and blurred.

She sighed, remembering the ways he had looked at her with those shadowy, undecipherable eyes. She not only saw the fiery need blazing within him, but also a mixture of passionate emotions she had never seen before. It was different and it had made her somewhat calm at the time. The softness in his gaze soothed and mesmerized her, but confused her as well. The lazy, carefree, selfless man she once knew no longer existed.

She lifted her chin and stared blankly at the ceiling above her, watching as the fan slowly circulated, thinking about her recent experience with the silver-haired man. She had sex with her former teacher. She just had sex with her former teacher. He was once her teacher and she was once his student. He was years over her age and she was years below his age. The more she thought about it, the more it felt wrong and opposing. A terrible, regretful feeling bubbled in her gut, discomforting her greatly. She had never felt so_…_wronged.

She turned to look to her left, hoping to see the spoken man sleeping soundly beside her. Instead, she only found the emptiness of the bed, the sheets left untidy and disheveled. Disappointment immediately filled her. Knowing Kakashi, he was probably sulking around, blaming it on himself, worrying about the horrible possibilities that could happen to the both of them.

It was all her fault. If she had just controlled herself and stay composed, they both would have avoided this mishap.

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><p><strong><em>Reviews Are Appreciated<em>**


	22. A Friend Forever

**_A/N:_** Hi! I'm so sorry for the very long wait. It's the last quarter and I have to keep my grades up. I've been getting 4.0's for the past three quarters, and if I get one this quarter, I get a new laptop! Besides, I need to do good in school. The high school I'm going to is going to look at the last quarter grades so...

Oh! I would also like you guys to check out TokiyoWind's first story, Mistake. She's a friend of mine who also happens to like anime and writing. If you wish, you can also read her other stories. She is into other anime like Gintama, unlike me. Haha.

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 22: A Friend Forever_**

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><p>Sakura slowly stepped down the flight of stairs, trembling from the cold air attacking her skin. She didn't bother to shower. She had only put on one of Kakashi's shirts that had been left out for her on the nightstand and a pair of new panties retrieved from her bedroom. She decided that she would set out to find him in spite of the pain throbbing between her thighs.<p>

When she reached the living room, she glanced around. She was worried about Kakashi. She was worried that he would trash himself again and throw himself back into the darkness. She knew that he would feel guilty in the end. Even she was feeling guilty.

She held a hand to her forehead and sighed. This was all her fault. If she had only kept calm and stay composed, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't have had sex and they both wouldn't have been feeling so awkward.

Suddenly, she heard the dishes clang silently together from the dining room. Her heart racing, she anxiously strode into the room. Kakashi was standing by the dining table, setting two bowls down across each other. There was a large bowl in the middle containing ramen, a dense cloud of steam rising from it.

"Finally awake, huh." Kakashi kept his back turned to her for a couple of moments, then glanced back over his shoulder at her. His crimson eye seemed darker than usual and she was not able to decipher the emotions floating within him. "Dinner is ready," he continued with a murmur.

He began to seat himself and she decided that she would too. When she claimed the chair across him, he held two chopsticks out toward her. She reluctantly accepted it, then poured some ramen into her bowl.

The two ate in complete silence. Kakashi didn't even bother to look at her. It was completely awkward and discomforting, and she did not find that appealing at all.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, so many things she wanted to tell him, so many apologies she wanted to say. Her mind was reeling with thoughts. Sakura wanted to talk to him, but the eerie aura in the atmosphere made it hard for her to do so.

Sakura chewed on her lip nervously as she eyed the man. She needed to speak up. It was now or never.

Fidgeting with her fingers, she said quietly, "Kakashi…"

Before she could continue her statement, he rose from his chair, his head hanging slightly. She stared at him, bewildered by his sudden rudeness. He started walking and she hoped he would stop in his steps in front of her. Instead, he simply brushed past her as if she was nothing.

Enraged by his actions, she stammered, "Kakashi!"

He paused by the doorway, not bothering to turn around to face her.

Angrily, she stormed up to him and jabbed her index finger into his back. He flinched slightly, but still made no movement to pay any attention to her. She hissed, "Why do you keep ignoring me! I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

Silently, he answered, "No, you haven't." He released a deep breath as he rain his fingers through his unruly wave of silver hair. "I have."

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. "Kakashi…" She held her clenched hand to her heart as she glared at the back of his head.

"Can you just…try to forget about it, Sakura?" he asked in a hushed whisper, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants.

He wanted her to forget that anything happened between them. Did she want to forget it? No, she didn't. She wanted to keep those memories locked away in her. They were precious, and she was sure that they had a special meaning. After having sex with Kakashi, she noticed that the feelings she held toward him changed.

"What if I don't want to forget?" she replied boldly.

Kakashi stood still for a minute before shrugging bluntly, "Then…it's our little secret to keep."

He took another step out of the dining room, and then she only came closer. Biting her lip, she questioned, "After what happened…are we still friends?"

It was then when he finally spun around. He lowered his head slightly so that they would be eye-to-eye. She shuddered when his mismatched eyes met her emerald ones. His pinewood scent once again began to intoxicate her lungs, making her insides melt and stir.

He placed his hand on top of her head gently, smiling reassuringly. "Of course we are. I'm not going to let one little mishap ruin our friendship, Sakura," he whispered silently. "I just need some time to think and go over this, but trust me, we're going to be good friends until the end of time. I'm not going to let anyone or anything get in the way of our relationship."

He pressed his lips against her forehead gently, making her stiffen slightly. He murmured against her skin, "Goodnight Sakura." Then he took off with not another single word being said.

Sakura stared after him in a daze, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. She didn't know why, but her heart was thumping wildly against her rib cage. It was practically aching.

She looked down at her bare feet. That look he gave her was different. It was odd, yet warming and welcoming at the same time. It made her somewhat happy and it reassured her that everything would be alright. It made her stomach fuzzy and sent her heart flying.

Kakashi had changed over the time they had been avoiding each other. He seemed softer and more fragile. It almost seemed as if despair and pain was eating away at his shell, revealing his inner emotions. He was letting all of his feelings pour out carelessly, like a hose spurting water in every direction. Others may not be able to see it, but she could. She could see it all.

Moments after pondering to herself silently, she finally traveled up to her bedroom. After slightly closing the door behind her, she flopped onto her bed, her face digging into her pillow. She inhaled deeply, Kakashi's scent still lingering in the air.

It was then when she realized she was still wearing his shirt. Sitting up, she pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it in the hamper. She would give it to him later.

Sakura hopped off her bed and lazily trudged to her dresser. When she found the desired clothing, she slipped into them, then returned to the comfort of her bed.

She took hold of the blankets and wrapped it around her body. She turned onto her side, facing away from the doorway, and turned the lamp off. Dark consumed her bedroom and she allowed her eyes to slide closed.

The pink-haired girl hoped to fall asleep, but she never did. She did not realize that she had been up for two hours until she took a quick glance of her alarm clock on the nightstand. It was nearly midnight, and she was sure that she had to go to school tomorrow. The heavy rainfall had ended and the streets were just beginning to clear up.

She had to fall asleep. No matter what. She cannot afford to lower her grades because of this stupid insomnia.

She sighed and cursed mentally. She needed to get some sleep.

All of a sudden, she heard her bedroom door creak open. A faint yellowish light leaked into the room, illuminating the walls slightly. She closed her eyes immediately and pretended to softly snore.

Sakura listened intently as the footsteps ended by her bedside. She froze when the mattress beneath her shifted, the weight adjusting toward her right. Just then, the familiar scent attacked her nostrils once again. It was him.

She nearly tightened her closed eyes when his hand gently ran across her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face. She shuddered and tried to keep her breathing even in order to convince him that she was asleep.

"I know you're still awake, Sakura."

Okay, that plan went down the drain.

Grumbling, she turned onto her back and adjusted her head so that she would be looking at him. He was glaring down at her, his mismatched eyes glowing faintly. He continued, "You should be asleep. You have school tomorrow."

"We both have school," she corrected quietly. "You have to work too, remember? And you're the one who woke me up in the first place."

"I don't think so," he replied. "You don't exactly sound tired, so I'm guessing you've been awake ever since our little chat?"

She nodded and brought her hands to her stomach, folding them. "Yeah."

"I suspected as much," he sighed deeply, running his hands through his unruly wave of silver hair. "Now, what's the matter? Is something bugging you?"

"Well," she began nervously, avoiding his gaze, "I just couldn't believe that you'd push that little incident away just like that."

"I didn't." He stared off at the wall, a frown making way to his face. "I never did and I never will."

"Then why are we still friends?" she asked quizzically. "If it bothers you, why are you still friends with me?"

"It bothers me that we had sex. It bothers me a lot and I can't help but to regret," he explained silently. "But I could never push you away. Not again. I was stupid to let you go in the first place, but now that you've given me a second chance, I'm going to hold onto this friendship till the end of time."

"Kakashi…" Sakura gazed at him softly, observing him as he moved his gaze to lock eyes. She propped her back up against the headboard, the bed sheets falling to her lap. Their shoulders brushed gently against each other as she shifted in her seat. Seconds later, she continued, "Why am I so important to you?"

He stared at her, making her insides churn. Something flared behind his eyes, causing her to shudder tremendously. She bit her lip when he leaned forward, his lips merely inches away from hers. She was itching to finish the deed for him, but instead, Kakashi kissed her forehead delicately.

Sakura blinked confusingly as he rose from his seat. She watched after him while he smoothed down his shirt uncomfortably, then walked toward the doorway. She opened her mouth to say something, but he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her, his mismatched eyes heartwarming. "Goodnight, Sakura," he said in a hushed voice, shutting the door behind him.

She folded her arms in front of her chest and crinkled his nose. That man was a complete mystery to her.

**_~ X x . . . x X ~_**

Frankly, morning came around quite quickly. It was an awkward Thursday morning. She had walked down the stairs leisurely after taking her shower, then entered the dining room, only to find a hot plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs waiting for her. Kakashi had been setting the table, placing the spoon and forks down. When the time came, the both of them started eating without a single word. She wanted to start a conversation, but the odd vibe he was giving off prevented her from doing so.

When the both of them finished their meals, they placed the plates and kitchenware back into the sink, then took off out the front door. It was still silent as Sakura stepped into Kakashi's car and seated herself in the passenger's seat as he seated himself. By now, the silence was killing her and she couldn't help but to groan inwardly.

The silver-haired man eyed her momentarily before starting the vehicle and driving off to the academy. It was a good five minutes until they pulled into the parking lot. He exited the car a bit too quickly and she questioningly followed after him, keeping a fair distance from behind.

No one was at school yet. It was still early, but teachers like Kakashi had to arrive early in order to prepare their agendas. Kakashi could have left her home and trust that she would be able to walk to school, but apparently he had decided against that decision.

He stopped in front of his classroom door and she seized in her steps a couple feet away. She watched intently as he pulled his keys out and stuck it into the key hole. He unlocked it with ease and pushed the door open, revealing the classroom that she had dearly missed.

Sakura pressed her lips together when he took one step into the classroom. What, he wasn't even going to say goodbye to her? Not even 'have a nice day at school'?

Crossing her arms, she said, "Why aren't you talking to me?"

Kakashi paused for a second, then spun around to face her. He shrugged lazily, eyeing her with his lone eye. "What? Do you depend on me to do everything for you? I was waiting for _you_ to start a conversation, but I didn't think you were waiting for _me_ to do the job."

She sighed in relief, holding a hand to her chest. It seemed that he was back to his usual self.

"Is something the matter, Sakura?" he asked suddenly. He pointed at her with his index finger, staring quizzically. "You seem a bit relieved. Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she laughed embarrassingly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "I just thought…"

He smiled and patted her on the head, ruffling her pink hair. "I told you, I'm never going to let this friendship go. I promise," he chuckled, the corner of his eyes creasing happily.

She felt her cheeks redden slightly, her insides melting at the sight of his grin. It practically turned her inside out.

He then started to gaze at her softly, making her even more red than before. He asked with a wry smirk, "Are you…blushing?"

She folded her arms in front of her chest and attempted to avoid his stares. She chewed on her lip nervously, muting his chuckles and laughs. Damn him. Damn him and his smiles. Damn him and his gorgeous looks. She knew it from the start that she wouldn't be able to keep from blushing in front of him.

"You're too cute, Sakura," he laughed, leaning back against the doorway.

"S-Shut up!" she stammered.

"It was a compliment. 'Thank you' would have been a good response," he pointed out, smiling teasingly.

Sakura stood silently, biting on her bottom lip. She had forgotten about his constant habits of teasing and joking around. She knew she was supposed to find this annoying and irritating, but to be honest, she missed having him joke around her, even if his jokes were disgustingly perverted. It had been awhile since something like this happened, and she wanted to relish every single moment.

She could remember everything. Her past was not the sweetest. She constantly moved from one place to another because of her parents' career, but once she moved to the beautiful city of Konoha and encountered its wonderful people, she became happy. Everyone was so kind and loving toward her, and she could not recall feeling so loved back when she was a child.

All of her friends were amazing. Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Hinata…and then there was Kakashi. After meeting Kakashi, her whole life changed. He had made her more lively and she always looked forward to every school day just to see his smiling face. He made her forget about her bitter past and he helped her move on.

She finally had a reason to live.

"Sakura." She looked up and met his warm gaze. "Are you okay?"

Sakura smiled sweetly and nodded. She brushed her bangs away from her forehead with her fingers, giggling softly. "Yeah. I just realized how happy I am to have you back by my side."

Kakashi stared in shock for a second before recollecting his senses. He returned the smile and scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. "I'm glad."

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><p><strong><em>Reviews Are Appreciated<em>**


	23. Pungent Uchiha

_**A/N:**_Hey, I'm back! I am extremely, so very sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time! I've been having a really hard time writing this chapter and there has been family issues. My uncle also recently passed away from cancer, so it's been quite hard for me. I hope you will continue to bear with me and I hope that you enjoy this new chapter. I also apologize for how short it is. Again, I've been having a whole lot of brain farts, haha!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p><strong><em>For You<em>**

**_Chapter 23: Pungent Uchiha_**

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><p>"Well, aren't you in a good mood?"<p>

Kurenai and Asuma approached the silver-haired man, curious smiles spread across their faces. They claimed their seats beside him and he simply nodded, approving of their presence.

Kakashi brought his mug to his lips and swallowed a few gulps of coffee before settling it back down on the table. Staring off into the near distance, he murmured, "Now what makes you think I'm in a good mood?"

"You do seem less grumpy than usual," answered Asuma, chuckling softly.

Kakashi hummed. "Is that so?"

He propped his chin on his upright hand, the other drumming its fingers on his lap. He supposed he was feeling quite better now that he and Sakura were on better terms. Resolving those conflicts lifted a ton of weight from his heart and it was relaxing to find that most of his personal predicaments had now dissipated. Kakashi surmised that those little jubilant emotions were somehow evident on his face. He found it ignominious that he had allowed himself to express those feelings, but it was refreshing to just let it all flow out.

Frustration was truly a horrible thing and it was eating away at him for a very long time. Perhaps he should learn how to be more open toward others? It would definitely save him from future stress and it would open much more opportunities for him to become acquainted with others. The idea seemed bitter since he usually avoided people, but he knew very well that he needed to loosen up. Like what his old friends had told him, he agreed that he was as stiff as a stick.

"So," began Kurenai, placing her hand on his shoulder and shaking him a bit, "Asuma and I saw you and the girl earlier this morning by your classroom. I'm guessing that you two finally made up?"

Kakashi sighed softly and eyed the woman next to him. "Something like that," he replied flatly.

Asuma laughed. "That's good news."

And Kakashi continued his day like any other. He taught the rest of his classes, signed and turned in a couple of documents to the principal, and packed the rest of the papers into his satchel to grade later on tonight. The day unfortunately felt longer than he had thought it would and his work had become unusually tedious.

He tried to tell himself that it was all only because of the upcoming finals since the school year was slowly coming to an end, but the truth was that the constant remarks about his abrupt change in behavior were the huge component of his weariness. Almost every period, more than half of his students commented about his newly sprouted attitude and they all bombarded him with inane questions. Even Genma, the most clueless man he knew, caught on.

As much as it all annoyed him, he couldn't help but to feel a tad bit happier. He had been blinded by his own sorrows and dread, resulting in his sour mood. Now that his eyes were finally open, he could see the good in everyone and their smiles were heartwarming. He just couldn't believe that this new found joy was all because of that pink-haired girl. It truly amazed him.

Kakashi sucked in a deep breath and calmed himself before resuming his task. After gathering the last of his items he exited his classroom, locking the door behind him, and began his search for Sakura. He was unsure of her last class, but he knew the exact location of her locker so he chose to travel there. It was a short five minutes before he arrived and spotted her surrounded by her friends, Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke.

As he neared the group, Sasuke's darkening eyes caught his and almost immediately, a tremor of shudders spread throughout his body. He stared into the lifeless eyes of the young dark-haired boy, noticing the blunt emotions wafting within him. The Uchiha seemed to be the same from the last time he saw him, but he was certain that he was aware of his and Sakura's situation.

Sasuke was always a sharp one. He was capable of perceiving any predicament, so Kakashi did not find it hard to believe that he already knew about it. For a second, he thought about the possibility of Shikamaru telling him the details, but after sorting things out he came to a conclusion that Sasuke had figured it all out by himself. Shikamaru was not one to spread a few secrets and Sasuke's intelligence was astounding enough to assist the process of perceiving something or someone.

"Kakashi!" The silver-haired man gazed at the yellow-haired student who had called his name. "Kakashi, come over here!"

Shaking his head and raking his hair back with his fingers, he strode toward the desired location. Once he reached them, he nonchalantly rose his hand into the air and greeted, "Yo."

"Glad we caught you!" smiled Naruto. "We have a very important thing to talk about!"

His sole eye widened slightly in horror. "Naruto, please. I'd rather not talk about such things—"

"Aw, c'mon!" wailed the boy. "Please tell us why you're so happy and giddy now!"

"I am neither happy or giddy," denied the teacher, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"But you're not pissed off like all of the other days!"

"Ah, is that so?" hummed Kakashi. "I haven't noticed."

"Liar!" accused Naruto, pointing his finger directly at him. "Tell us, tell us, tell us!"

"No," Kakashi said blatantly. He turned to face Sakura. "Let's go."

"Wait," started the pinkette. "Is it alright if they come with us? We have to study for the pre-exams we have next week."

He sighed heavily and brought his hand to his forehead. "Fine."

She beamed and skipped after him as he strode out of the building, her friends following behind. It was not long before they arrived at his car and they all seated themselves, Kakashi driving, Sakura sitting in the passenger seat, and the others sitting in the back. It was unusually silent, especially for a group of teenagers who talked loudly and freely among themselves.

Kakashi was beginning to shift uncomfortably and was relieved once Naruto decided to break the unbearable silence. "So Sakura…is Kakashi dropping you off cause your parents are at work or something?" the boy asked, curiously.

The teacher's ears quirked at that. Raising a brow, he addressed a question to the girl beside him, "Ah, you haven't told them yet, have you?"

Sakura's gaze darted around nervously. "I wasn't sure how to…"

"Tell us what?" wondered Naruto.

"Since Sakura is a bit shy today," breathed Kakashi, "I shall give a brief explanation. Her parents are out of town on a business trip and they asked me to be her guardian for a short while."

"So you discussed the matters with her parents and accepted the task?" assumed Sasuke, tone slightly sour.

Dismissing his bitter attitude, the man answered, "Precisely. You've always been a sharp one, Sasuke."

"Hm. I suppose."

The atmosphere suddenly started to grow tense and Hinata gave a small chuckle in hopes of keeping the tension low. "A-Ah, well I don't think it's a bad thing! After all, Kakashi is a n-nice teacher!"

"Oh, you really think so?" drawled Kakashi. "Thank you, Hinata."

Looking at the rear view mirror, he saw that the timid Hyuga was blushing faintly, Naruto grinning foolishly, and Sasuke unhappily glaring out the window. Shaking his head, he redirected his attention to the road. The trip to Sakura's home felt strangely incessant and the roads seemed to stretch on forever. Perhaps it was just the beginnings of exhaustion or the frustration of putting up with his noisy, prodding students all day. Either way, he disliked it very much. He decided that when they reached their destination, he would brew himself a mug of coffee and head straight to his guest bedroom to sit back and read.

It was a couple of minutes before he pulled into the driveway. They emerged from the vehicle and Naruto practically sprinted his way to the doorway, nearly slamming himself into the door in the process. Rolling his eyes, Kakashi retrieved the house keys from his pocket and unlocked it, allowing the children (they all acted extremely childish, so it only made sense to consider them children) to enter. Once they were inside, Sakura announced that they would all be studying in the living room and her guardian simply nodded in approval. He then strode into the kitchen.

The kitchen was dimly lit by the afternoon sunlight that managed to escape through the closed curtains. Taking hold of each curtain, he pulled it apart and squinted at the sudden sharp light. Kakashi allowed his eyes to adjust to the change of lighting before making his coffee. As it began to brew, he heard the door swing open and close behind him. He released a deep breath, already having an idea of whom it may be.

"Can I get you something? Water, maybe? Or do you prefer soda or juice?" asked the silver-haired man, rummaging through the refrigerator.

"None of the above," came the calm, cold voice. "I want to talk."

"It appears we're out of soda," he continued, ignoring the statement. "If you want juice, we have apple and orange juice. Which one would you like?"

"Neither."

Defeated, he closed the refrigerator and turned to face Sasuke with a slightly irritated expression. "I was hoping I could simply relax while drinking a cup of coffee and reading a few of my favorite novels," said Kakashi, "but I guess that won't be happening for a bit."

Sasuke folded his arms in front of his chest. "Why are you _really_ with Sakura?" inquired the young boy.

"I told you before, I'm watching over her like her parents had instructed me."

"Feh," snorted Sasuke. "As if! There must be some other reason why you accepted the job. I mean — come on! You two haven't spoke to each other in months, let alone look at each other, and then all of a sudden you're friends again? And you were the one that _left_ her."

"You truly are a pungent child," remarked Kakashi, scratching the side of his head. "Now, tell me why I am being interrogated like this?"

"You know I care about Sakura. I'm only concerned about her well-being."

"As do I."

The dark-haired student stared nonchalantly, the corner of his lips curling into a puzzled frown. Knowing that he was going over the details of the situation, Kakashi momentarily broke the conversation to pour the finished coffee into his mug. When he returned, the boy's gaze appeared softer, yet darker at the same time.

"What made you change your mind?" abruptly asked Sasuke.

Kakashi sipped at his drink. "Hmm?"

"Why did you stop running away from your feelings?"

He nearly choked. He swallowed hard and tried to clear his throat. "Pardon?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Hatake."

"Actually, I don't. Do care to explain a little more, please," said Kakashi, dryly.

Sasuke sighed. "You and Sakura were extremely close a while back. Even though you were both teacher and student, both of you were still able to talk freely with each other. During that time, I've noticed that Sakura started to look up and depend on you. Same goes for you, I was able to tell that you were starting to depend on her as well. A few other people had been able to point out the detail like me, but I'm certain that I am the only one who knows that you hold some sort of affection toward her."

Kakashi laughed uneasily, settling his mug down on the counter top. "You know too much, Sasuke. You're a naturally keen person, so I'd expect something like this out of you."

Sasuke approached the teacher slowly. "I don't like the idea of you watching over Sakura for however long you have to, nor the idea of you hanging around her. You betrayed her. Do you know how hard it was for us to get her to open up to us again? She had sheltered herself from all of her friends and family for a month."

"I never knew that my decision would have hurt her that much," murmured the man.

"Listen, I don't trust you at all anymore. I'm sorry, but I just care about her and I'm trying to keep her away from more pain. You were the cause of that dilemma, so if something were to happen, I am sure that you would be the person to completely shatter her."

"…I care about her too."

"I don't believe you."

"I know you won't. I understand the reasoning of your opposition toward me…" Kakashi ran his fingers through his disheveled silver hair. "…but even so, I still care about her. Deeply. I was only trying to protect her back then by attempting to break off our friendship."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "Protect her from what, exactly?"

"Danger was bound to happen then, Sasuke."

"And why was that?"

Kakashi gave a weary smile. "Because I love her."

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><p><em><strong>Reviews Are Much Appreciated<strong>_


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